The body of an Altus woman

was found in an abandoned vehicle

Tuesday afternoon in the alley in the

1000 block of E. Sutherland. The case

is being treated as a homicide after

the state Medical Examiner’s office

was said to have cited the cause of

death as “sharp force trauma to the

head and neck,” but local police have

said they are not verifying or releasing

a cause of death at this time. No

weapon has been recovered.

The victim has been identified as

Melissa Bost, 49, of Altus.

Altus Police Department responded

to a call Tuesday afternoon, Feb.

28, for what was initially thought to

be a child and a dog left unattended

in a vehicle in an alley just west of

Altus High School. The reporting

person said they noticed the vehicle

in the alley at approximately 2 p.m.

When the first officer arrived on the

scene, he discovered Bost inside the

vehicle, and immediately asked the

dispatcher to send a detective and

then requested the area be cordoned

off as a crime scene.

APD officers conducted a houseto-

house search as others determined

the owner of the vehicle.

The initial investigation has provided

investigators with persons of

interest, but no arrests have been

made.

Anyone with information about

this case is encouraged to call crime

stoppers at 482-tips (8477).