Woman Called Police From Inside the Trunk of Her Own Car Before Slaying
Police believe she was abducted at a gas station and later killed.
— -- A 47-year-old woman who was allegedly abducted at a gas station in Montana called police for help while locked inside the trunk of her own car before being found dead early Wednesday more than 300 miles away near Spokane, Washington.
Police say someone hit Rita Maze over the head by the side of the road in the town of Wolf Creek, forced her into the trunk and drove her to Spokane, where they believe she was killed, reports ABC Fox Montana, a local affiliate.
Maze was able to call law enforcement from inside the trunk and describe the details of her alleged abduction, police say. Maze's husband also notified police after she failed to come home as expected, ABC Fox Montana said.
Police tracked the woman's whereabouts by using pings from local cell towers and authorities in Spokane identified the car using a license plate scanner.
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff in Montana says police in Spokane found Maze's remains in the trunk of her black Pontiac Grand Prix. Investigators recovered Haze's car around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities believe Maze was killed in Spokane, but a cause of death has not yet been released by the Spokane County coroner.
Deputies say they have identified a person of interest after investigators gathered identifying information from surveillance video, ABC Fox Montana reports. Authorities are asking for the community's help in identifying person. Police say they do not believe the person had any connection to Maze.
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and the FBI are collaborating on the case.
