Authorities in Texas on Wednesday said they recovered the body of a 24-year-old woman, who was reported missing by relatives last week, in the trunk of her own car.
The body of Angela Mitchell of Dickinson, a mother of four, was found on May 11 in a white sedan parked in front of a home in a Texas City neighborhood, according to the Texas City Police Department, KTRK-TV reported.
Police received a tip from the community that day about a foul odor coming from the vehicle, saying they believed the odor was coming from a decomposing body. That tip led responding officers to find Mitchell’s body.
A cause of death has not yet been determined and it remains unclear how she ended up dead in the trunk of her own car.
Mitchell’s relatives shared a missing flyer online after they reported her disappearance to the authorities on May 6 when she hadn’t returned home the night before.
According to the poster, Mitchell had last been seen in Texas City’s Windy Grove. Her vehicle was located near 4th Avenue in Texas City.
David Welch Jr., a citizen who lives in the area, told KTRK-TV that the discovery of a deceased female inside a car trunk didn’t surprise him.
“To be honest, that’s nothing new in this town. You come across that situation every couple of months or so,” Welch Jr. said.
Authorities said an investigation is underway.
The Mainland Communities Crime Stoppers is reportedly offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case, according to KPRC.
Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at (409) 945-TIPS (8477) or online at p3tips.com, or contact Texas City Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at (409) 643-5720.
