Body found in trunk at Graham auto yard identified as missing woman

GRAHAM, Wash. — The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the identity of a person whose body was found in the trunk of a car in Graham last month.

Deputies discovered the body at an impound lot in the 21000 block of Meridian Avenue East on Dec. 21, Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said.

Officials said the car was towed to the lot with no knowledge there was a body inside.

The victim was identified as 41-year-old Patricia “Tricia” Soto. Her cause of death has not yet been determined.

On Dec. 16, a news release from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said Soto was missing and was last seen at a home in Burien on Nov. 7. It said she was known to frequent the Granite Falls and Everett areas, but more recently was known to be in the Burien/Des Moines area.

Family members told deputies it was unusual for Soto not to be in contact with her family.

According to the News Tribune, Pierce County deputies found Soto’s body at the lot while helping Snohomish County deputies with an investigation involving a car that was towed to the lot from King County.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death as a homicide, the News Tribune said.

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