SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide after the body of a 67-year-old woman was found inside a suitcase Wednesday evening at Wichita Fire Station 22, 2659 S. Hydraulic, according to a media release from Wichita Police.
At approximately 6:25 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, Wichita Fire Department personnel requested an urgent police response after two individuals arrived at the fire station with a suitcase and reported that a body was inside.
Officers responded and found the woman inside the suitcase. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was later transported to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The two individuals who brought the suitcase to the fire station are being interviewed by investigators. Detectives are working to determine how the woman and the individuals being interviewed are connected to one another.
Investigators, officers, and crime scene investigators worked throughout the night and into Thursday morning, interviewing numerous individuals, processing evidence and canvassing the surrounding neighborhood for additional information. Detectives continue working to establish a timeline, identify additional locations connected to the case and locate additional witnesses.
Investigators believe they know the woman’s identity, but are awaiting fingerprint confirmation before releasing her name. The woman had been reported missing to law enforcement.
Based on the circumstances known to investigators, police are conducting this as a homicide investigation. Detectives continue working to determine the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and how she came to be brought to the fire station.