Police investigate woman’s body found in Kansas City back yard

Kansas City police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found Tuesday in the back yard of a residence in the 4000 block of Askew Avenue by a city water department worker.

Officers were called to the residence shortly after 9 a.m. Police had not determined whether the woman’s death is a homicide. A worker alerted authorities after finding the woman’s body sprawled on the lawn near the back door, said Officer Darin Snapp, a police spokesman.

There were visual signs the woman had been in a struggle. A neighbor told investigators she heard several shots near the house earlier Tuesday.

If it is determined that the woman’s death is a homicide, it will be the city’s 72nd homicide of the year. There were 56 homicides reported during the same period a year ago.

Anyone with information about the death is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Police investigate woman’s body found in Kansas City back yard."