BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A woman had been strangled before her body was found in the aftermath of an apartment fire in Bloomington, the coroner says.
According to investigators, 32-year-old Teresa Michael was found dead inside a residence in the 500 block of S. Basswood Drive Thursday night.
Investigators initially characterized this as a death investigation. On Monday, the Monroe County Coroner’s Office ruled her death a homicide.
“The preliminary cause of death has been ruled manual strangulation, and the manner of death has been ruled a homicide,” wrote Monroe County Coroner Joani Shields.
While Shields said no other details would be released, she did dispel a rumor that the victim’s legs had been cut off:
“I do want to address a rumor or report that has been circulating. The victim’s legs were NOT cut off. There was a fire in the apartment that caused burn injuries to the victim, however her legs were not severed, this has been falsely reported by individuals not directly involved with the investigation.”
