The results from a forensic autopsy likely will be key in determining the cause of death of a missing Griffith woman who was found in a burned out abandoned building in Gary last Friday, officials said Thursday.
On Sept. 23, Deborah Leslie, 30, was found in the structure in the 5300 block of West Eighth Avenue, according to the Lake County Coroner’s office. She was identified using dental records, but her cause of death was listed as pending. The coroner’s office performed a forensic autopsy on Leslie’s body on Sept. 24 and tissue and blood samples were sent to a lab for a toxicology report. Those results can take 3-4 weeks, according to the coroner’s office.
Leslie was last seen on Sept. 20 at Motel 6, 3840 19th St., in Hammond, where she appeared with some people in video footage, according to a social media post by her brother, James Leslie, on Sept. 26. Pictures of two of the people, as well as Leslie’s car, have also been circulating through social media.
– Original Credit: Photo courtesy of the Leslie Fam
The Hammond Police Department stated in a Thursday news release that they were contacted by the Griffith Police on Sept. 25 about Leslie who was last seen in Hammond, but their efforts to locate Leslie were unsuccessful at that time. The release stated that results from the coroner’s autopsy report will contribute to how the investigation is resolved. If anyone has any information about Leslie’s death, they are asked to contact Hammond Police Det. Sgt. Scott Jajowka at (219) 852-2989 or Griffith Police Det. Jake Schoon at (219) 924-7503.
The fire is being investigated by the Gary fire marshal and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. Gary Fire Chief Sean O’Donnell said, “When the companies arrived, the dwelling was fully engulfed in fire” and firefighters only discovered the body in the aftermath of the blaze.
He encouraged anyone with information to contact the fire department at (219) 881-5220.
