Stabbing Victim Is Found Dead in Tustin Apartment

An apartment manager investigating a complaint of an odor coming from one of her units Friday found the decomposing body of a woman who had been stabbed a number of times, police said.

The victim, who had not been identified by police, was found on the bedroom floor of her second-story apartment at 14300 Newport Ave.

There were no signs of forced entry or any evidence that there had been a struggle, Tustin Police Lt. Robert Schoenkopf said.

“The investigation is continuing,” said Schoenkopf, who declined to elaborate on the case.

The Castilian Apartments manager who discovered the body said she had rented the unit to Kathleen Witkowski, 39, two weeks ago. The manager, who declined to give her name, said the victim appeared to be Witkowski.

“She seemed like a real nice person,” the manager said. “This is a shame. It’s very sad.”

Witkowski told the manager she was a waitress who “worked long hours.” She moved in with a man, whom the manager declined to identify.

“He seemed nice too,” she said, adding that the man was about 50 years old and had complained of having heart problems. The manager said she had not seen the man since he and Witkowski moved in.

She said she had closed the door to Witkowski’s apartment on Tuesday after another resident called her and informed her that it was open. On Wednesday, the manager said, she was told that the door was open again but decided to leave it alone, figuring Witkowski wanted it that way.

At about 10:30 a.m. Friday, the manager went back to Witkowski’s apartment after a resident who lives next door complained of a bad smell coming from the unit. The manager said she found the door open.

The victim, who was fully clothed, was discovered with dried blood on her face on the bedroom floor next to a bunch of unpacked boxes, the manager said. Two sleeping bags were found laid out on the living room floor, she said.

The discovery “has frightened several of the residents,” the manager said. “This is a very quiet community. This is the first incident that we ever had like this. It’s really a shame . . . tragic.”

Times correspondent Tom McQueeney contributed to this report.