Autopsy to be conducted on body found in Salvation Army bin in Worcester

WORCESTER, Mass. — Police are investigating a "suspicious death" after a body was found near a Salvation Army donation bin.

Detectives and crime scene technicians worked into the night on Monday in a large lot belonging to the Salvation Army.

The victim's body, which has only been identified as a woman, was found by warehouse workers near the Salvation Army donation center.

Police received the call reporting a body found shortly before 10 a.m. Monday. Sky25 was over the scene on Cambridge Street earlier Monday afternoon.

"For something that’s a potential homicide, it does take quite a while to process and we want to do a thorough job because we have one chance to do it and get all the evidence we can," said Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha.

Investigators spent hours combing through the cluttered drop-off area before and after the body was removed by a van from the state Medical Examiner.

A woman who works at the Salvation Army furniture store says the lot is gated at night, but the gate is only designed to keep cars out.

"Whatever happens after we close the gates, I don't know," said Liz of the Salvation Army furniture store. "If they were walking through the parking lot, if you want to get through something, you will, so that's all I can say."

The building closest to the crime scene is a shopping plaza. One store clerk says detectives came in looking for security footage.

"They said, 'Somebody over there dumped a body?' Yeah, dumped a body," Bashir Rahmat said.

Aretha Baker owns a restaurant in the same plaza.

This is not the first time there has been trouble in the lot, but she says she's never seen anything like this.

"I think they need to put cameras back there because a lot of times, you see people driving at night in the back," Baker said.

Police are trying to determine if the victim died from natural causes or foul play.

Investigators worked all day and into the night, combing through the cluttered drop off area searching for clues.

An autopsy will be conducted on Tuesday to determine the woman's cause of death.

Cox Media Group