Police said the case remains a suspicious death investigation as the medical examiner works to identify the woman.
MARYSVILLE, Wash. — Police are investigating the death of a woman believed to be in her 20s after a resident found her body Wednesday inside a green yard waste bin in the 5700 block of Grove Street.
The discovery brought detectives to a residential area near 74th Street Northeast and left several basic questions unresolved. Authorities had not publicly identified the woman by late Friday. They had not released a cause or manner of death, named a suspect or said how long the bin had been outside the apartment complex.
Officers were called just before 5 p.m. Wednesday after a resident reported a person down, Marysville police said. When officers arrived, they found the woman dead inside the yard waste bin and called detectives to the scene. Police said the woman appeared to be in her 20s. Her body was later released to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will make a formal identification, notify relatives and determine how she died.
Bob Stocks, who lives near where the body was found, said he was moving bins back after the regular morning pickup when he noticed a green yard waste container on the sidewalk. He said it did not appear to belong to the apartment complex. The bin was unusually heavy, so he opened it. “I was literally shaking like a leaf,” Stocks said. “Very disturbing.” He said he backed away, gathered himself and called 911.
Marysville Police Commander Robb Lamoureux said detectives did not see obvious signs of trauma at the scene, but he said the medical examiner would make the official findings. Police said the woman was partially covered by a blanket and was wearing a T-shirt. Lamoureux said she had no visible tattoos or clear identifying marks that helped officers identify her at the scene. Investigators were still trying to learn who owned the bin and when it arrived on Grove Street.
The timeline is one of the main questions in the case. Stocks said the bin appeared after the morning collection, which he believed happened around 9 a.m. Wednesday. Police had not confirmed exactly when the container was placed there. Detectives were working with waste management officials to narrow the window and determine whether the bin was tied to a regular collection route or brought to the area separately. Officers spent several hours Wednesday night collecting evidence and canvassing the neighborhood.
Marysville officials described the case as a suspicious death investigation and said it was still in its early stages. The 5700 block of Grove Street is lined with apartments, homes and local streets in Snohomish County, north of Seattle. The unusual location of the body drew attention across the area, but police released few details while waiting for the medical examiner’s work. Lamoureux said identification would give detectives a clearer starting point for learning where the woman had been and who last saw her.
Investigators also were reviewing whether any doorbell cameras, security systems or nearby witnesses captured activity involving the yard waste bin Tuesday or Wednesday. Police said they were looking for anything unusual in the area, including movement of the container, unknown vehicles or people near the complex. Officials did not say whether any video had already been collected or whether any witness statement had changed the direction of the investigation.
The case also raised questions about the container itself. Marysville contracts with Waste Management Northwest for recycling and yard waste collection, and yard waste service is optional for city residents. City information says yard waste bins are used for lawn debris, branches, leaves and similar material. Police have not said whether the bin had markings that tied it to a home, business or service account. Lamoureux said investigators knew only that it was a unique bin and were still trying to determine where it came from.
Stocks said the discovery came during a normal afternoon as he handled chores before leaving for a church men’s group. He said police asked him detailed questions after he called 911. “They gave me tons of questions,” he said. He told reporters the moment stayed with him after officers arrived and secured the area. Neighbors watched as detectives processed the scene and searched for clues late into the evening.
No arrest had been announced by late Friday, and police had not released a possible motive. The next major update is expected from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will identify the woman if possible and determine the cause and manner of death. Marysville detectives said the investigation remains active.
Author note: Last updated 2026-05-01.