Police are trying to identify the woman and determine how the bin reached Grove Street.
MARYSVILLE, Wash. — A woman’s body found in a yard waste bin outside a Marysville apartment complex has led police to investigate the case as a homicide, authorities said.
The case began Wednesday evening along Grove Street near 74th Street Northeast, where a resident reported finding the body while moving bins. Police said the woman appeared to be in her 20s. Her identity, cause of death and the events that led to her being placed in the bin remained unknown.
Bob Stocks said he noticed the bin because it did not belong with the others at the complex. He said it was heavy when he tried to move it, so he opened the lid. “I was literally shaking like a leaf,” Stocks said. He said he backed away, gathered himself and called 911.
Marysville detectives spent Wednesday night processing the scene and speaking with people nearby. Commander Rob Lamoureux said the woman was partially covered by a blanket and was wearing only a shirt and socks. Police said they had not found details they could release that would identify her publicly.
Investigators said the bin may have been left near the property between Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. That window is a key part of the case because police are trying to determine who moved it, where it came from and whether anyone nearby saw suspicious activity before officers arrived.
The body was turned over to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, which is expected to determine the woman’s identity and how she died. Police had not released information about visible injuries, a possible weapon or a motive. No arrest had been announced.
Lamoureux said the discovery shocked investigators and the community. “It is shocking,” he said, describing the case as the first of its kind he had seen in decades with the department. Stocks also questioned why someone would leave a body in such a place, saying the scene was hard to understand.
As of Friday, detectives were still treating the death as a homicide and were working to identify the woman, locate a suspect and establish a timeline for the bin’s arrival near the apartment complex.
Author note: Last updated May 1, 2026.