Police: Woman found dead in Wal-Mart lot had been there for months
A 22-year-old California woman who was found dead inside her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot had been there for three months, investigators said.
According to KSBW-TV, Lauren Jessie Moss was last seen alive on Nov. 13 — the same day she had been released from a rehab facility. Three months later, on Feb. 3, Wal-Mart employees discovered Moss' body in the parking lot.
Salinas police said it was difficult to notice anyone inside Moss' vehicle, because the car had dark-tinted windows and a sunshade covering the dashboard.
A spokesperson for Wal-Mart said they don't have personnel patrolling parking lots overnight, but they do have 24-hour surveillance cameras. When police reviewed the security footage, they spotted her car parked in the same spot in December, which is as far back as the footage went.
Although her cause of death is yet to be determined, police believe Moss' death was likely a suicide.
In addition to leaving a suicide note for her family, Moss' sister told KSBW-TV that a needle was found inside the car, which she said lead her to believe that Moss died after injecting herself with drugs.
Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitielilly_
