(CNN) An elderly couple that had been buried in snow in Arizona for an indeterminable amount of time was found dead on Friday, according to a statement from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

The couple was identified as Ash Fork residents Richard Alexander 74, and his wife, Elizabeth Alexander, 79, the statement said. They were found a few minutes' walk from their own home, according to the man who discovered the bodies. Ash Fork is a rural community west of Flagstaff.

Causes of death for both husband and wife are pending an autopsy by the medical examiner, according to the police statement.

"A PRELIMINARY finding shows no evidence of foul play and a strong likelihood the pair, a man and woman in their 70's, died from exposure to the environment," according to a statement posted on the sheriff office's Facebook page.

The couple's car was found abandoned about one mile away, according to the sheriff's office.

Read More