Body Of Missing Black Alabama Woman Christina Nance Found Dead In Parked Police Van
There are unanswered questions about the missing Alabama woman whose dead body was found in a parked police van.
Christina Nance’s family reported her missing on Oct. 2. Five days later, a police officer discovered the 29-year-old woman’s body in the vehicle at the Huntsville Public Safety Complex parking lot, the Huntsville Police Department said in an Oct. 15 statement.
Security camera footage indicated that Nance entered the van on the afternoon of Sept. 25. Twelve days later, the officer approached the van after noticing shoes next to the vehicle and discovered Nance’s body inside, the police said.
Meanwhile, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced on Twitter that Nance’s family retained his law firm.
"We will get to the truth of what happened to Christina Nance, the young Black woman found dead in the police van in front of the Huntsville Police Department. We lift up Christina's family with prayer as they mourn this devastating loss," Crump said.
The police said surveillance footage showed Nance “walking around the lot, lying down in the bushes, sitting on the hood of a police car, and approaching other parked and unoccupied vehicles for about 10 minutes before entering the van through the rear door.”
Madison County Coroner Dr. Tyler Berryhill said an autopsy showed no foul play or trauma, the police said. An official cause of death was expected from the state medical examiner after toxicology results and other tests are completed.
Nance’s family raised questions about why the police were unaware that she was in a parked vehicle in such a highly trafficked area for 12 days. The department is now under scrutiny, CNN said.
Huntsville Deputy Police Chief DeWayne McCarver stated at a news conference that the department’s Crisis Intervention Team officers knew Nance, according to CNN.
"They have worked with her in the past to provide resources and different things. We are familiar with her -- very familiar with her,” he stated.
Authorities showed the surveillance footage to Nance’s family, the police statement said, adding that the “department’s thoughts are with the family during this tragedy.”
