The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Patricia Soto, 41, as the woman who was found dead inside a vehicle trunk in a Graham auto yard last month.
The medical examiner’s office has not released Soto’s cause or manner of death, but detectives are investigating the case as a homicide, said Sgt. Tim Meyer, of the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Soto was reportedly last seen Nov. 7 at a Burien residence, according to a Dec. 16 news release from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Family members were concerned for Soto’s safety because it was unusual for her to not be in contact with them for that long, according to the news release.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department was notified that a vehicle tied to a missing person’s case was towed to the auto yard, Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. said. Deputies found Soto’s body on Dec. 21 while searching the vehicle, Moss added.
The King County Sheriff’s Office is the primary agency investigating the homicide but will work with other counties to piece together what happened, Meyer said.
No other information was immediately available because of the ongoing investigation.