The naked body of a 21-year-old woman was found behind the Summerfield Shopping Plaza early Saturday, and detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.
The victim was identified as Meaghan Casady of Gibsonton. A sanitation truck driver for Progressive Waste Solutions discovered her body around 7:20 a.m. while working his route, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the body lying in the grass near the edge of some water.
Deputies spent the day combing the area, looking through trash cans and finding pieces of evidence. At this time deputies are not releasing details of their findings.
Investigators said they aren't sure how Casady died or ended up behind the shopping plaza, which is located at the corner of Big Bend Road and Summerfield Boulevard. They do, however, say the death is suspicious, and an autopsy has been scheduled.
“It's still very early in our investigation, we are treating it as a suspicious death right now," Col. Donna Lusczynski of the sheriff's office said. "We have not ruled the exact cause of her death but will be treating it as a homicide investigation until we can prove otherwise."
Detectives said there were no obvious marks of trauma but her body is still being examined.
They're trying to collect any surveillance video that might help.
"That's part of our investigation," Lusczynski said. "A number of businesses have cameras, and we're working with them to get video and film."
Detectives are asking anyone with knowledge of Casady's activities in recent days contact the sheriff's office. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.