Death of Mountlake Terrace woman now investigated as a homicide
Feb 17, 2016, 1:40 PM | Updated: Feb 18, 2016, 12:37 pm
An official with the City of Mountlake Terrace has confirmed that the death of Cheryl DeBoer is now being investigated as a homicide. (KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
Mountlake Terrace police are officially investigating the disappearance and death of Cheryl DeBoer as a homicide.
A spokeperson with the City of Mountlake Terrace confirmed Wednesday that detectives now consider the case a homicide investigation, according to KIRO 7.
Related: Blood stains found in DeBoer’s abandoned car
Other possible causes of death are also being looked into.
An autopsy of the 54-year-old revealed small cuts on two of DeBoer’s fingers that appear to have been self-inflicted.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
• Search group found her body in a culvert
• Police investigating death as homicide, per city official
• Blood stains found in Cheryl’s car, small cuts apparently self-inflicted on fingers
• Husband ruled out as suspect. It is not known if police have a person of interest
DeBoer’s body was found by a group of searchers near the King-Snohomish County line at Cedar Way and 244th Street Southwest at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
On Tuesday night, Mountlake Terrace Police Cmdr. Kevin Pickard confirmed blood stains were found on the passenger side of DeBoer’s car.
The stains are being tested by the Washington State Patrol crime lab to determine if the blood is DeBoer’s.
Pickard had previously said investigators did not believe residents should be concerned for their safety.
“At this point, we don’t see a concern for people’s safety or a threat to others,” Pickard said Monday.
DeBoer’s husband is not a person of interest in his wife’s death, according to officials. There are no other persons of interest in the case.
Expert trackers were brought in to examine the area around the culvert where DeBoer’s body was discovered.
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They were looking for footprints and other evidence.
