Overview

Last seen: September 15, 2022
Location: West Beach, Gambell, Alaska
Age when missing: 46
Status: Missing
NamUs: MP95749
Alaska State Troopers case: AK22099306

Main circumstances: Jason Kaningok was reportedly last seen walking on West Beach in Gambell. His final known cell-phone activity occurred at approximately 5:31 p.m. Searches did not locate him. Alaska records categorize the circumstances as environmental, and no publicly verified evidence currently establishes that his disappearance was a homicide.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Jason Merle Kaningok Missing From Gambell, Alaska: What Is Known About His 2022 Disappearance

Jason Merle Kaningok was 46 years old when he disappeared from Gambell, Alaska, in September 2022. More than three years later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and his case continues to be listed in national and Alaska missing-person records.

Last Known Movements

Kaningok’s last confirmed contact was September 15, 2022, in Gambell, a community on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska’s Nome Census Area. Available case information states that he was last seen walking on West Beach. His last known cell-phone activity occurred that same day at approximately 5:31 p.m.

The circumstances after that point remain unclear. Searches of the area were conducted, but authorities and searchers were unable to locate Kaningok. Publicly available case records do not identify a confirmed destination, subsequent sighting, or other verified activity after the West Beach sighting and final phone activity.

The Missing-Person Report and Search

The Alaska State Troopers received the missing-person report on September 22, 2022, approximately one week after Kaningok’s last known contact. The associated Alaska State Troopers case number is AK22099306. His NamUs case, MP95749, was subsequently established.

Contemporary awareness posts reproducing information attributed to the Alaska State Troopers described local Village Public Safety Officers and other searchers looking for Kaningok after his disappearance. Public case summaries consistently report that searches were unsuccessful.

Kaningok was described as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and 190 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. NamUs-derived information also lists a scar on his left knee.

How Authorities Classify the Circumstances

Available Alaska Department of Public Safety records classify the circumstance associated with Kaningok’s disappearance as “Environment.” That designation is important because publicly available state records do not classify this case as a homicide or as a suspicious disappearance.

The classification does not establish exactly what happened to Kaningok. It reflects the category currently appearing in Alaska’s missing-person reporting. There is no publicly documented finding establishing whether he entered the water, suffered an accident, encountered another environmental hazard, or disappeared under some other circumstance.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

Kaningok continues to appear in Alaska missing-person records. The Alaska Department of Public Safety’s report covering missing Alaska Native, American Indian, and unknown-race persons through September 30, 2025 lists Jason Kaningok of Gambell as missing, with a date of last contact of September 15, 2022 and the circumstance recorded as “Environment.”

His NamUs record also remains publicly available as MP95749, and current third-party case indexes continue to identify the case as active.

As of August 2026, I found no publicly released announcement stating that Kaningok has been located, that remains have been recovered and identified as his, that criminal charges have been filed in connection with his disappearance, or that authorities have reclassified the case as a homicide. The currently available public record therefore supports describing Jason Merle Kaningok as still missing, rather than as a confirmed homicide victim.

Why the Case Remains Unresolved

The most significant publicly known evidence is limited: Kaningok was reportedly seen walking on West Beach, his phone showed activity at 5:31 p.m. on September 15, 2022, and searches afterward failed to locate him. No verified later sighting has been publicly disclosed.

Gambell’s coastal setting makes environmental possibilities relevant to the investigation, but the available public evidence does not establish a specific scenario. Claims made in online discussions should therefore be treated as unverified unless law enforcement independently confirms them.

Anyone with first-hand information about Kaningok’s movements on September 15, 2022—including where he was going, who may have spoken with him, or anything observed around West Beach—could potentially provide investigators with useful context.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last seen: September 15, 2022
Location: West Beach, Gambell, Alaska
Age when missing: 46
Status: Missing
NamUs: MP95749
Alaska State Troopers case: AK22099306

Main circumstances: Jason Kaningok was reportedly last seen walking on West Beach in Gambell. His final known cell-phone activity occurred at approximately 5:31 p.m. Searches did not locate him. Alaska records categorize the circumstances as environmental, and no publicly verified evidence currently establishes that his disappearance was a homicide.