When a woman’s body was found inside her car, the man who found her didn’t know it
The woman whose body was discovered inside a Ford Fusion last summer in the Dallas suburb of Austin was not a homicide victim, and the driver of the car didn’t think her death was a homicide until the man found her body and contacted police, according to the Dallas County medical examiner’s office.
The body was recovered by the car’s driver after the driver’s father called police and told them he had seen the car parked in the driveway of his home on July 4, the medical examiner said in a news release.
The medical examiner did not identify the woman or release her name, saying she was not considered a person of interest in the investigation.
The Austin Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
The Austin American-Statesman reported that police were searching for the driver, identified as 31-year-old James Brown, of Austin.
Police did not say how Brown got the vehicle or if he knew anyone who had a valid driver’s license.
A few days later, Brown’s girlfriend, 22-yearold Tracey Hinton, reported that Brown had left her home and she was “unaware” of where he had gone, according the Austin American Statesman.
Police later found Hinton’s car on a busy street in Austin, about a mile from where the woman was found.
She was not injured.
Brown, who has been charged with murder, was arrested and charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery and aggravated battery, according a news report.
Hinton told police that Brown tried to grab her cellphone when he saw her, the AP reported.
She said Brown “came toward her” and she tried to turn away.
Hentons sister told ABC News that Brown told her he was going to “kill me,” according to a news story.
The news release from the medical examiners office did not give details about the circumstances of the woman’s death, citing the ongoing investigation.
Austin police told the Associated Press on Monday that they had identified the woman and that they were searching her car.
