Seattle Police clearing a homeless encampment made a 'heinous' discovery inside a suitcase when they found the body of a homeless woman who had been missing for nearly a year.
Investigators are now working to determine exactly how Shannon Marie Caslin Reeder died and who hid her inside a suitcase.
"It was absolutely one of the most heinous, disgusting things that I've ever heard," said Tim Emerson, program director for We Heart Seattle, a homeless outreach group, according to KOMO.
Police stumbled upon the Reeder, 37, amid a separate incident in which a man was shot and injured near a homeless encampment in the area of Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Seattle.
As law enforcement and outreach workers were clearing the encampment, they discovered the suitcase and grisly remains in a trash pile.
Emerson explained that violence in the area was not uncommon.
"There's always a worry and a concern," he said.
"You always just have to be smart, watch your backs, and know who you're dealing with and when to walk away."
Investigators are in the process of establishing a timeline leading up to Reeder's death and are asking anyone who saw or interacted with her in the past 12 months to come forward.
The Washington State Patrol reported that the 37-year-old's last confirmed sighting occurred in November 2023.
