Investigation into the death of a woman whose body was found near Jefferson City July 23 took a turn two days later when a suspect in the case shot himself in Missoula, said law enforcement officers. The death of the man, whose name was not yet released by press time, was referred to the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office for investigation. According to official law enforcement accounts, officers in Missoula were watching a home there for a suspect in the death of 45-year-old Cassandra Dean Morrison.
When officers attempted to stop a vehicle with the suspect in the back seat, the man committed suicide, they said. Investigation continues. Law enforcement officials have not released autopsy results or information about a motive or means of Morrison’s apparent murder. The case and aftermath involved multiple law enforcement agencies. The Division of Criminal Investigation was called into the case by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office after Morrison’s body was discovered on a roadside Sunday morning near Jefferson City. The DCI enlisted the assistance of the Missoula Police Department in the surveillance of the suspect, and Ravalli County was called in to look into the death of the man.
