Jackson Hole news | Jackson Hole feature | Jackson Hole environmental | Jackson Hole sports | Today's News

Man finally at peace after bacteria battle
Petersen's death in Mosquito Creek camp ends five years of misery.

By Bill Curran

Five years after contracting a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection, Arnold Petersen's pain finally has ended.

Petersen died late last week at the age of 40.

Kodie Petersen, the deceased's wife, said her husband pain has finally ended. "I'm just relieved that he's not suffering anymore," Petersen said Tuesday. "He's at peace."

Petersen discovered her husband's lifeless body in a Mosquito Creek camp on Saturday, according to a Teton County Sheriff's Office report. She went looking for Petersen when he didn't return from a camping trip after several days, according to the report. Petersen had told his wife he would be home Thursday morning from a one-night sojourn.

Teton County Coroner Bob Campbell said Petersen died of natural causes. "Everything looked like he was just up camping," Campbell said.

Dr. Franci Tryka, a pathologist, said Tuesday a preliminary examination has determined pancreatitis as the cause of death. The pancreatitis was not related to the flesh-eating bacteria, Streptococcus A, that plagued the Jackson resident, she said.

Petersen contracted Streptococcus A in August 1997. He was trying to make extra money by remodeling bathrooms when he scraped himself with a dirty knife. Within 24 hours, the bacteria had consumed his flesh from knee to groin on his left side. The bacteria entered his bloodstream and body cavity, causing a cascade of problems and illnesses.

Petersen ingested a steady dosage of morphine, a narcotic painkiller, for years to help him cope with pain in his abdomen and leg. Doctors removed one of Petersen's kidneys and operated on his colon and pancreas several times. Petersen endured a blood clot in one leg and his esophagus was eaten away from his stomach.

Tryka said Petersen appears to have been cured of the bacterial disease that attacked his health. "The wounds were all healed," she said. "I think he was cured of that some time ago."

The bacterial infection unwound the social fabric of Petersen's life just as it destroyed his health.

Since contracting Streptococcus A, police officers arrested Petersen for a slew of offenses including driving under the influence, battery and shoplifting. Most of the charges were dropped partially because the county did not want to foot the bill for his medical expenses.

But an empathetic judge also played a role. Justice of the Peace George Kuvinka told Petersen during a February 2001 court appearance that a DUI charge, combined with his recent criminal history, normally would be grounds for sending Petersen straight to jail.

"The problem is Mr. Petersen, that you keep getting arrested and arrested," Kuvinka said. "I could just as easily lock you in jail."

Expressing sympathy for Petersen's medical condition, he asked Petersen to shape up. "I'm aware of your medical condition," Kuvinka said. "But what in the world are you doing?

"You don't get a free pass to go out and do whatever you want. I'm going to give you one more chance, but this better be the end of it."

Most recently, Kuvinka released Petersen on Aug. 22 after a plea bargain to a shoplifting charge. Prosecuting attorney Clark Allen said the county did not want to jail Petersen because "he's expensive."

Kuvinka allowed Petersen, who had served 38 days in jail, to be released as long as he visited his doctors and created an alcohol treatment program.

Peterson was on six months probation from the shoplifting charge. The terms of his probation prohibited him from drinking alcohol. Petersen had only a minor criminal record before he was infected by the disease.

Dr. Tryka said pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, generally is caused by gall stones or alcoholism. A high blood alcohol content could aggravate pancreatitis, leading to death.

While Tryka is waiting for test results to determine if liquor played a role in Petersen's death, a strong odor preliminarily indicates that his blood alcohol level was high.

"The treatment for pancreatitis if its from alcohol is to stop drinking," Tryka said.

The pathologist added investigators found prescription drugs with Petersen. "He could have had an accidental overdose of sorts," she said.

Pancreatitis allows digestive enzymes to leak out of the pancreas and potentially damage surrounding tissue, Tryka said. "It just plain starts to dissolve the tissue around it," she said.

Petersen leaves behind teenage sons Kevin and Tad.

After years of struggling, Kodie Petersen is just glad her husband finally can rest. Her relief, however, does not quite fill the absence left by the death of a partner of 20 years.

"I miss him, I miss him so much," she said.

Respond to this article by e-mailing publisher@jhnewsandguide.com