(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Friday morning at approximately 11:21 AM, Officers of the Ketchikan Police Department responded to a report for a welfare check on a male who appeared to be passed out.

Officers discovered the male was deceased and the circumstances appeared to be suspicious. The victim was identified as Richard Branda, age 55. Branda's next of kin were notified. Officers processed the scene and began contacting possible witnesses.

Friday afternoon, at approximately 4:59 PM, Ketchikan Central Dispatch received a call from a male saying he had killed Branda. Officers contacted the caller in the 100 block of Austin Street. He was identified as Joshua K. Bliss, age 42.

According to a press release from the Ketchikan Police Department, Bliss was charged with Murder in the First Degree and Tampering with Evidence.

Bliss was transported to the State Jail and is being held without bail.

Note: Charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

City of Ketchikan Police Department

 

Representations of fact and opinions in comments posted are solely those of the individual posters and do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

SitNews ©2017
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources. E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.