HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — Deputies were called to the area of Winns Church Road and Greenwood Road Thursday morning after a woman's body was found.
The Hanover County Sheriff's Office said they were notified just after 7 a.m. The body was found lying off the side of the roadway.
Investigators are working to identify the woman.
Crime Insider sources told Jon Burkett that there were obvious signs of trauma to the woman.
"We actually have a lot of people that walk this road and ride bikes on Winn’s Church Road, so it's heavily traveled by both foot and bike,” said Joseph Fultz, a retired Richmond homicide detective.
Neighbors in that area say they didn't hear anything unusual. Deputies confirm they don't believe the woman died where her body was found.
"If you find out who she was with last, that's where you start and of course, the evidence recovered on the scene,” said Fultz.
He's spent two-thirds of his 32-year career in RPD's major crimes unit. He says cases like this are challenging but they can be solved.
"Family members may be able to tell, ‘hey, she was with this person,’ and you go and talk to them,” said Fultz. “Maybe it's not them but you gotta’ have that talk. You gotta’ go through every avenue possible and find out where they were last. The very last stop and hope they had a phone or something because that can come into play too."
The Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause of death, but investigators believe she died just a few hours before a citizen spotted the body. However, they do not believe she died where her body was found.
Winns Church Road between Greenwood Road and Rocky Ridge Road is temporarily closed as the investigation is ongoing.
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