MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The death of a woman who disappeared Feb. 8 and was found days later in a culvert with a plastic bag taped loosely around her head has been ruled a suicide, officials said Monday.
An autopsy showed Cheryl DeBoer, 53, died of asphyxiation and fresh water drowning and there were no injuries “consistent with DeBoer being a victim of an assault, abduction or struggle,” Mountlake Terrace police said in a press release. Toxicology tests also found no substances that could have contributed to her death, police said.
DeBoer was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Her body was found in the culvert Feb. 14.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner determined DeBoer’s death was a suicide after reviewing all the forensic, medical, physical and circumstantial evidence, police said.
“Mountlake Terrace Police recently met with the family members to discuss the findings of the investigation,” police added. “Mike DeBoer, Cheryl’s husband, thanked the community for their support over the past several months and expressed his appreciation for the thorough and careful work of the Mountlake Terrace Police Department and for the caring and compassionate manner in which detectives interacted with the family. The family also has asked for everyone to please respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
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