Homeless woman strangled to death, wrapped in a tarp and left in a encampment for 4 days

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The death of a 66-year-old woman whose body was found in a Seattle homeless encampment earlier this month has been ruled a homicide.

A medical examiner’s report identifies the woman as Annette Barnes and suggests she died four days before her body was discovered in an encampment on Mercer Street in South Lake Union on March 14.

The report said Barnes died from asphyxia due to manual strangulation and suffocation.

KOMO News recorded drone video of the area on March 13 for a story about frustrations from neighbors who have been calling the city with safety concerns around the encampment.

A neighbor who asked to not be identified told KOMO News on Tuesday that she is considering moving out of South Lake Union due to the city and state’s inaction to clear the encampment.

“I want to feel safe again. The police keep getting these phone calls, the fire department keeps getting these phone calls, but nobody is doing anything. If I continue not feeling safe, there’s no way I can keep living here anymore,” she said.

The Mercer street encampment has had multiple prior issues, including at least eight reported fires since last summer.

A resident of the encampment was arrested and charged in 2022 for an alleged rape that occurred in the encampment. Those charges were later dismissed due to ‘evidentiary issues’, according to court documents.

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Homeless woman strangled to death, wrapped in a tarp and left in a encampment for 4 days

PLEASE LOGIN TO VIEW THIS CONTENT

NOT A MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!

The death of a 66-year-old woman whose body was found in a Seattle homeless encampment earlier this month has been ruled a homicide.

A medical examiner’s report identifies the woman as Annette Barnes and suggests she died four days before her body was discovered in an encampment on Mercer Street in South Lake Union on March 14.

The report said Barnes died from asphyxia due to manual strangulation and suffocation.

KOMO News recorded drone video of the area on March 13 for a story about frustrations from neighbors who have been calling the city with safety concerns around the encampment.

A neighbor who asked to not be identified told KOMO News on Tuesday that she is considering moving out of South Lake Union due to the city and state’s inaction to clear the encampment.

“I want to feel safe again. The police keep getting these phone calls, the fire department keeps getting these phone calls, but nobody is doing anything. If I continue not feeling safe, there’s no way I can keep living here anymore,” she said.

The Mercer street encampment has had multiple prior issues, including at least eight reported fires since last summer.

A resident of the encampment was arrested and charged in 2022 for an alleged rape that occurred in the encampment. Those charges were later dismissed due to ‘evidentiary issues’, according to court documents.

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