An Oregon mother found dead near an abandoned barn in Washington earlier this month died from blunt force injuries, an autopsy revealed.
The body of Joanna Speaks, 32, was found April 8 near the Ridgefield barn. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said she was likely killed elsewhere and her body moved.
The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide, and the sheriff’s office said it would not release any further information for the time being.
Speaks’ family told KOIN that her three children — a 7-year-old daughter and two teenage sons — had been living with other family members for some time. They believe she would have tried to defend herself.
A sister and a stepsister told KGW they wanted answers.
“Like why did this happen?” said Robyn Speaks, the victim’s older sister. “How? It just doesn’t make sense.”
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“It keeps me up at night thinking that whoever did this to her, blunt force trauma to the head and neck, I mean that is violent, and that person is walking around,” said stepsister Ariel Hamby.
The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information or who may have seen something in the area of the barn to call their tipline at 564.397.2847.
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[Featured image: Joanna Speaks/Clark County Sheriff’s Office]
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