Federal investigator died of asphyxia, compression of the neck
A federal public defender’s investigator in Northern California who was allegedly slain by a high-risk sex offender died of asphyxia and compression of the neck, officials with the Alameda County coroner’s office said Wednesday.
Sandra Coke, 50, was an inspector with the Sacramento branch of the federal public defender’s office and went missing on Aug. 4, according to the Alameda County district attorney’s office.
Her body was discovered five days later in a dry creek bed in Vacaville.
Randy Alana, 56, has been charged in connection with Coke’s death. Alana has been characterized as a high-risk sex offender with prior convictions for rape, kidnapping and manslaughter.
He has been in custody since Aug. 9 on a parole violation.
Alana and Coke briefly dated two decades ago.
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