May 31, 2016

Prosecutor: Woman's body found tied to cinder block at bottom of Chester County pond

She was thrown away 'like a piece of trash,' D.A. says

By Daniel Craig
PhillyVoice Staff

Source/Chester County District Attorney's Office

Picture on the left are two rings, the top of a horse and and the bottom of an anchor, and pictured to the right is a pair of long shorts. The clothing and jewelry were found on a woman who was discovered dead and tied to a cinder block in a pond in East Coventry Township, Chester County, on Monday, May 30, 2016.

Authorities are investigating the death of a woman in East Coventry Township who they said was thrown away "like a piece of trash," the Chester County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

The woman's body was found tied to a cinder block at the bottom of a pond off Zeiber Road, a popular swimming and fishing hole that is part of Pigeon Creek, authorities said.

Police made the discovery Monday. A citizen reported seeing a body in the pond at around 11:15 a.m., and responding officials were eventually able to remove it and the cinder block, prosecutors said.

Chester County District Attorney's Office/Contributed Art

Pictured are two tattoos that were on the body of a woman who was discovered dead and tied to a cinder block in a pond in East Coventry Township, Chester County, on Monday, May 30, 2016.

“Sadly, somebody threw this woman away like a piece of trash," District Attorney Tom Hogan said in a press release. "Our first job is to identify the victim. Then we will find out how she died and who was involved.”

People in the area told investigators that children had been swimming in the pond the previous afternoon, meaning the body had to have been dropped into the water sometime between then and late Monday morning.

So far, there have been no clear indications as to how the woman died, according to authorities.

Chester County District Attorney's Office/Contributed Art

Picture here are bracelets that were found on a woman who was discovered dead and tied to a cinder block in a pond in East Coventry Township, Chester County, on Monday, May 30, 2016.

Officials said there were no signs of strangulation, no gunshot wounds or blunt force trauma, and no water in her lungs, meaning she didn't drown. Prosecutors said she was dead before being placed in the water.

The woman is described as African-American, 25 to 35 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 130 pounds with short hair.

She was wearing long shorts and a short-sleeved shirt with no shoes. She had bracelets on both wrists, rings on her fingers and a tattoo on her left shoulder.

Authorities are actively investigating the woman's death, and anybody with information is asked to contact Chester County Detective Sgt. Tom Goggin at 610-344-6866.