Detectives say the woman appeared to be in her 20s and had not been identified.
MARYSVILLE, Wash. — Marysville police opened a homicide investigation after a woman’s body was found Wednesday evening inside a heavy yard waste bin near an apartment complex on Grove Street.
The discovery brought detectives to the Cedar House Apartments area near 74th Street Northeast, where investigators worked for hours to collect evidence and canvass the neighborhood. Police said the woman appeared to be in her 20s, but her name and cause of death had not been released.
Bob Stocks, who lives at the apartment complex, said he found the body while moving bins outside the property. Stocks said one bin did not match the others and was too heavy to move easily. “When I opened it up to see what was in it, lo and behold, there’s this body,” he said. Stocks said he called police right away after the discovery.
Officers were called to the Grove Street area just before 5 p.m. Wednesday. Police said the woman was found inside the bin with a blanket over her. Marysville Police Commander Rob Lamoureux said she was wearing a shirt and socks. Investigators said they were still working to identify her and determine how she died.
Police said they believe the bin was placed near the apartment complex sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. Detectives were reviewing the scene and seeking information from people who may have seen unusual activity in the area. No suspect had been named, and police had not said whether the woman was killed at the scene or moved there after her death.
Lamoureux described the case as deeply unusual for Marysville. “I’ve been here for 40 years. I’ve been a public information officer for over 20, and this is a first for our town,” he said. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office was expected to help confirm the woman’s identity and cause and manner of death.
The investigation remained active Friday. Police had not announced an arrest, and detectives were continuing to seek tips as they worked to learn where the bin came from and when it arrived.
Author note: Last updated May 1, 2026.