Body found at Pierce County auto yard identified as woman missing for weeks
A woman found dead last month in a vehicle’s trunk at a Graham auto yard was identified by the medical examiner. The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death as a homicide.
Patricia Soto, 41, was found dead Dec. 21 near the 21000 block of Meridian Avenue East, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release. The office listed her cause and manner of death as pending.
Soto had been missing since Nov. 7 and was last seen at a residence in Burien, according to a tweet from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. In December, deputies said relatives were worried about Soto’s safety because it was unusual for her to not be in contact with her family for so long.
Pierce County deputies found Soto’s body at the auto yard while assisting Snohomish County deputies with an investigation regarding a vehicle that was towed there from King County, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss said.
The investigation was turned over to the King County Sheriff’s Office the same day.
A spokesperson with the King County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday the investigation was ongoing in the department’s major crimes unit, and he had no more information to disclose.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 11:26 AM.
