Body in Trunk Identified as Missing Woman

A 59-year-old woman found dead in a car trunk Friday evening was identified Saturday as a person reported missing earlier in the week, authorities said.

Doris Bennett of Lancaster had been missing since Wednesday, said Lt. Tom Schwabe, of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

Her body was found behind an apartment complex in the 44000 block of Division Street, said Deputy Elsa Avila, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff’s deputies were alerted by a resident of the complex who reported an unfamiliar, four-door Plymouth parked in one of the carports, Avila said.

“Deputies saw one of the windows was broken and there was blood on the car,” she said.

Sheriff’s homicide investigators determined the woman had suffered blunt-force trauma but were not able to identify her right away, said Sgt. Richard Dinsmoor, a spokesman for the department. The car was registered in Bennett’s name, he said.

She was last seen at about 10 a.m. Wednesday and was reported missing Thursday by her adult son, Avila said.

Authorities had not yet determined a motive for the apparent homicide, Avila said.