LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) -
Lufkin Police are using flood lights to illuminate the area around woman's body discovered near a bridge off South Timberland Drive. Early Thursday evening the parking lot behind a Firestone store turned into a crime scene staging area.
Investigators report the deceased body of a white female in her 40s was found around 5 o'clock. Detective J.B. Smith said the woman's body was found near the bridge between Timberland Drive and Chestnut Village Shopping Center. Officials believe they know the woman's identity, but police are not releasing it at this time. Police are requesting a Justice of the Peace to order toxicology reports and an autopsy. A funeral home is expected to arrive late Thursday evening to transport the woman's body.
The immediate area is blocked-off with crime scene tape and an adjacent road is closed to through traffic. Investigators were seen taking pictures and measurements of the scene.
Smith said they are treating this investigation as if it is a murder. "The scene could lend itself to be a natural or unnatural death, so at this point we don't know and we treat all equivocal deaths as if they were a murder. We treat the investigation as such that we don't miss any evidence. If the investigation leads to the point where we can prove it's not a murder fine, but if not, we don't want to miss anything."
Anyone with information about this death is being asked to call Crime Stoppers at (936) 639 - TIPS.
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