Woman's death called 'suspicious'

By Walter Mares
Copper Era Managing Editor
Published on Sunday, February 3, 2008 9:52 PM MST

Authorities are calling the death of a Duncan woman “suspicious.” Greenlee County Sheriff Steve Tucker said Mary Redding, 63, was found dead in her home on Chaparral Road on Jan. 22.

“She sustained injuries, and we’re not yet sure how those injuries occurred,” Tucker said.

He said Redding’s body was taken to the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office in Tucson for autopsy. Preliminary results indicate she sustained some type of injuries. The sheriff would not elaborate on the nature of the injuries, saying the death is still being investigated.

He did say there were no visible causes that stood out, such as a gunshot wound or blunt force trauma to the head.

“She may have died of a heart attack and injured herself in a fall, but we are still definitely treating this as a suspicious death,” he said. “Until we are told by the medical examiner’s office Mrs. Redding died of natural causes, we are regarding this as a suspicious death.”

Shortly after Redding was reported missing the morning of Jan. 22, she was reportedly found by a man, possibly her minister. Her door was apparently unlocked. Sheriff’s officers were called and arrived shortly after at 10:28 a.m.

The sheriff’s office provides law enforcement for the town of Duncan.

Tucker said the woman had been dead at least 24 to 48 hours “and maybe longer.”

Redding’s pickup truck was missing. That, and the unknown cause of death, led authorities to immediately suspect foul play. The truck turned out to be in the possession of Redding’s daughter, Angela Redding, 42. She was found in the Pinal County Jail after being arrested on a Graham County warrant.

Tucker said Greenlee investigators Frank Montoya and Jaime Aguilar interviewed the woman regarding her mother’s death but did not divulge any details of the interview.

“Since there is no obvious cause of death, we’ll just have to wait and see what the final autopsy results reveal, and we’ll go from there,” Tucker said.

A rumor began circulating Tuesday night that two people had been found dead. “Nope, there was only one,” the sheriff said.

Comments

1 comment(s)

    wanting a newspaper wrote on Feb 8, 2008 1:39 PM:

    " Two weeks before Mrs. Redding died there was another uinexplained death in Duncan, a man who may have died as the result of a beating he sustained in Clifton. Not one word of this appeared in the Copper Era. Hey Walter, how about reporting the Greenlee County news on a somewhat regular basis. If you don't want the job find someone who does. Graham County seems to get at least three times the news for the same $.75, "

WRITE A COMMENT

READER COMMENTS
* Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.

* Be relevant. Keep your comments pertinent to the story that is being discussed.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All reader comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The Eastern Arizona Courier is not liable for messages from third parties. IP addresses can be subpoenaed and your identity established by individuals who have been hurt by your comments.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity: You can be prosecuted for identity theft.
* Comments unrelated to the story.

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in www.eacourier.com reader comments represent the individual's own views and not those of the Eastern Arizona Courier. The Courier does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than Eastern Arizona Courier spokespersons.

Thank you for your comments!

(optional)
Current Word Count:
   



More Enhanced Listings >>

Classifieds


Copper Era
1 Wards Canyon
Clifton, AZ 85533
928-865-3162