Woman’s body found stuffed in suitcase in trash pile near homeless camp

SEATTLE (KOMO) - Authorities are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase at a Seattle homeless encampment approximately a year after she was last seen.

There is a sea full of trash and debris near Seattle's Dr. Jose Rizal Park where several homeless camps stand. It's also near the area where the body of 37-year-old Shannon Marie Caslin Reeder was found stuffed in a suitcase.

"It was absolutely one of the most heinous, disgusting things that I've ever heard. It's hard to believe that a human being could do something like that to another human," said Tim Emerson, program director for We Heart Seattle, a homeless outreach group.

Reeder's body was found by homeless outreach workers on Sept. 27. The Washington State Patrol says she was known to live in the area, but the last confirmed sighting of her was in November 2023.

Days before Reeder's body was discovered, there was a shooting near the encampment, so officials moved in to clear it. That's when the body was found inside a "large suitcase," according to authorities.

Investigators called Reeder's death "untimely" and the disposal of her body "callous." Detectives are working to put together a timeline of her moments prior to her death.

Emerson says it's devasting Reeder's body was found alongside debris, but he also says this isn't the first time it's happened.

"We have found overdosed people in their tents... and we have found endless needles and sex toys," he said.

Outreach workers are working their way through the encampment in hopes of restoring some safety. Emerson says violence in the area is not uncommon.

"There's always a worry and a concern. You always just have to be smart, watch your backs and know who you're dealing with and when to walk away," he said.

Detectives are asking anyone who saw Reeder or had contact with her in the last 12 months to come forward.