Woman’s body found in Alabama police van parked at headquarters. Relatives demand information.
Published 3:59 pm Monday, October 11, 2021
A body found inside a police van parked outside headquarters was identified Monday as being that of a 29-year-old woman whose relatives held a news conference demanding more information from law enforcement.
A police statement said an assessment by the Madison County coroner found no signs of foul play or trauma, but an autopsy and toxicology analysis would be conducted this week to determine what killed Christina Nance, news outlets reported.
An officer walking to a police car found Nance’s body in an old, unused Huntsville Police Department van parked outside the Huntsville Public Safety Complex on Thursday.
Relatives of Nance including Frank Matthews, a longtime activist from Birmingham, held a news conference Sunday in Huntsville demanding that authorities release more information about her death.
“We really don’t know how our relative’s body was found inside a police van on police property and we need some justice,” said Matthews, a cousin of Nance. “We need some clarity and Christina cannot speak for herself.”
A police statement said a state medical examiner will determine a cause of death after tests and reviews that could take several months.