First Posted: 3/13/2015
LIMA — The death of a woman a week ago has been ruled a homicide, a police lieutenant said Friday.
An autopsy showed that Rhiannon Rhoads died from a lack of oxygen or what the coroner called asphyxiation. The exact cause of her death remains under investigation, but there were signs of a struggle at the crime scene, said Lt. Pat Coon of the Lima Police Department.
Rhoads, 38, was found dead inside her home at 721 Linden St., on March 6, after she failed to report for work, Coon said.
“She didn’t show up for work or call in which was unlike her. Her fellow employees called police concerned about her,” Coon said.
Police were called to the scene and an officer forced entry into the house. Her body was found inside, Coon said. Rhoads lived at the home by herself.
Detectives and crime scene investigators were called to the scene, Coon said.
“They determined it to be a homicide due to physical signs of an assault and evidence of a struggle,” Coon said.
No one has been arrested in the crime but police are narrowing the list of potential suspects.
A motive for the killing has not been determined, Coon said.
“They are confident physical evidence collected at the scene as well as other evidence will ultimately reveal the person responsible for Rhiannon Rhoads’ death,” Coon said. “Unfortunately, scientific testing and forensic testing takes time to process so the results may not be available for several more weeks.”
Rhoads’ murder is the second homicide in Lima this year. The first was the death of Khylil Florence on Jan. 28 at 714 Greenlawn Ave. Rhoads funeral was Friday.
