CLEVELAND — Although the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner is working to determine the official cause of death, Cleveland police said Thursday that detectives noted cuts and bruising on the body of Anastasia Hamilton, the 25-year-old woman who was last seen Downtown on Saturday. Hamilton’s body was found in a dilapidated home off East 54th Street in Slavic Village Wednesday evening.
A native of Medina, Hamilton and an unknown male were captured on surveillance cameras in the Terminal Tower parking garage last weekend. Hamilton’s car was later found parked in the garage, police said. Cleveland police have identified the man that Hamilton was last seen with but he is currently not facing any charges, police said.
According to Cleveland police, Hamilton was located by witnesses at the Slavic Village home and alerted authorities. It is unclear how long her body had been at the home. Police said there were lacerations and bruising on Hamilton’s head, torso, and extremities. However, the severity of her injuries remains unknown.
Devontae Williams lives next door to the home where her body was found. Upon learning what police found inside, Williams was shocked.
“I couldn’t even bear it, for real. I had to take a walk,” Williams said. “I live really, really close and I didn’t even hear [a thing]. I don’t know what happened.”
Late Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the medical examiner said the cause/manner of death is still under active investigation. It is unclear what connection Hamilton had to the home — if any connection at all.
“I’m really heartbroken. I just can’t believe that’s going on,” said neighbor Timothy Obojski. “It really, really ripped my heart out.”
Neither Obojski nor Williams recognized Hamilton and didn’t report seeing her in the area of the 3600-block of East 54th Street before. The home where she was found, however, has long been a problem for the neighborhood.
“I noticed there’s a lot of traffic going in and out of there.”
If you're interested in donating to her funeral, click here.
RELATED: 25-year-old woman last seen in Terminal Tower parking garage under suspicious circumstances
