Washington Police Find Bloody Scene That Could Be Sign of Homicide
Police find evidence of a possible crime, but don't know who's involved.
— -- Washington police are investigating whether bloody clothes and pieces of flooring found burning along a roadside in Auburn are evidence of a homicide.
The Washington State Patrol lab confirmed that the blood found on the debris was human, according to police there.
"We can assume it's a probably homicide. We are reasonably certain that it's going to be homicide or a very serious assault," Auburn Police Department Commander Mike Hirman told ABC News.
According to Hirman, the debris included clothing and parts of flooring including carpet, hardwood and linoleum all covered in blood. Hirman said police are waiting on tests to see if the blood is related to a male or female victim.
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The debris was found Wednesday afternoon by a Federal Protective Service officer, who was driving through a well-trafficked road in Auburn, when he saw a small smoldering fire about 20 feet from the roadway.
The officer drove to the fire and pulled out his extinguisher to put out the fire. Before he could use the extinguisher, he spotted another man near the fire who immediately got into a nearby dark SUV and drove off.
Although the officer chased the SUV, he was unable to catch up or stop the vehicle. After firefighters were called to put out the fire, they found the items covered in blood.
Now police are asking the public for help in finding the suspect or even the victim. Hirman said if anyone in the area thinks someone is missing or if they are suspicious about any activity they can call the Auburn police investigation line at 253-288-7403 or 253-931-3080.