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Police seek help tracing last steps of woman found shot to death at cemetery

Posted at 5:43 PM, Oct 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-25 17:48:08-04

PETERSBURG, Va. -- A woman whose body was found unclothed and decomposing in a Petersburg Cemetery has been identified as 43-year-old Virginia Allen.

The Medical Examiner has determined Allen died from a shot in the head and the manner of death is a homicide.

Petersburg Police say they need the public's help to retrace the steps of the 43-year-old, so they can find out exactly what happened.

"I was shocked," said a friend of Virginia Allen, who asked CBS 6 to protect her identity. "She was an outgoing person."

Police say Allen's body was discovered on the morning of Sunday, October 13 at the Little Church Street Cemetery.

"I didn't know it was somebody I knew when it first came on the news, I heard like a week later, I was shocked," said the friend, who like others is still trying to understand why and what happened to Allen.

Police say they are trying to trace Virginia Allen's steps going back 45 to 60 days.

"It appears she may have been staying at one of the hotels in our hospitality district, which is located near I-95," said Petersburg Police Lt. Dustin Sloan.

It's an area within walking distance of the cemetery where she was found.

Police confirmed they had talked with Allen in late August.

"She did have a disturbance with another individual where officers made contact with her," said Lt. Sloan.

Police say their investigation in the homicide continues.

If anyone was in the area of either incident, believe that they saw or heard anything contact the Petersburg/Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at (804)861-1212 or by downloading the P3tips app or by going to P3tips.com.

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