Troopers find remains of missing 18-year-old girl; say they believe she was murdered

WASILLA, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) - Human remains discovered earlier this month in Alaska have been identified as those of a missing girl.

According to Alaska State Troopers, human remains were found off Moose Meadows Road in Wasilla on Sept. 4.

The state medical examiner’s office completed an autopsy and confirmed the remains matched those of 18-year-old Ataja Banks, an Anchorage woman who went missing in November 2023.

Banks was last known to be alive in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, an area in southcentral Alaska, before her disappearance. Investigators said Anchorage police were initially handling the case before troopers assumed responsibility.

State troopers said information gathered during the investigation has led them to believe Banks was murdered.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the case.

No further immediate information was released.