Document text
56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 4, 2005 Police: I-5 homicide a mystery By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A mysterious 9-1-1 call early Tuesday led police to a spot alongside Interstate 5 where they discovered a Medford woman bleeding near her idling convertible. The 33-year-old woman died shortly after Oregon State Police troopers arrived at the scene, sparking a homicide investigation, said OSP Lt. Kurt Barthel. The woman’s name was not released Tuesday because her family had not been notified of her death. At about 6 a.m., the woman used a cell phone to call 9-1-1 and say she was injured and needed medical attention. An unidentified man then took the phone and spoke with police dispatchers for a moment before the call ended, Barthel said. "Evidently, a man was on the phone ... saying ‘Yeah, this person’s (vehicle) has been weaving and I pulled over to give her some help,’" Barthel said. "We’d like to find out who that person was," he said. Advertisement When OSP troopers and medics located the woman’s silver 2001 Chrysler Sebring convertible idling on the freeway’s southbound shoulder near milepost 11, the unidentified man was nowhere to be found. Troopers discovered the severely injured woman lying alongside her car. She died moments later. The exact nature of the woman’s injuries was not disclosed by police because the investigation into her death is ongoing. Barthel said investigators do not believe the woman killed herself. No murder weapon has been recovered. Detectives want to know why the woman was traveling near Ashland early Tuesday. She lives and works in Medford, Barthel said. "There’s no reason for her to be where she was," he said. "We’re trying to find out what she’s been doing the last few days." Following the discovery, police with metal detectors scoured the area in search of clues. Barthel said a helicopter was used to survey the scene from above, and investigators attempted to track a set of footprints that might have belonged to someone who left the area on foot early Tuesday. That person could have fled along the freeway or a nearby frontage road, police said. The Jackson County Major Crime Team is assisting OSP in its investigation. Anyone with information possibly related to the case is asked to phone OSP at 776-6111. "We’re in need of help from the public," Barthel said. "We have lots of question marks, but not a lot of answers." Barthel said the woman was of Hispanic descent, and investigators believe her nearest family lives in Mexico. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s