Woman Found Dead Possible Homicide Victim: Travis County Sheriff

AUSTIN, TX — A woman found dead in Pflugerville last week could have been the victim of a homicide, the Travis County Sheriff's Office said on Friday night.

Sheriff's deputies reported to the 600 block of Hickory Ridge just before 10 a.m. on April 16, according to law enforcement officials. There, they found the woman unresponsive on the front yard. At the time, "nothing about the scene or the body appeared suspicious as there was no notable evidence of trauma," police said.

The woman was later identified as Janice Hughes, 70, of Manchaca, Texas. Manchaca is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Travis County.

By Friday, the sheriff's office amended its earlier assessment: "An autopsy performed on April 23, 2020, revealed Hughes' death was not the result of natural cases," officials wrote in a press release. "This case will be worked as a homicide until evidence proves otherwise."

The sheriff's office said further information will be released as the case develops.