Police probe Sutton death

Published 12:20 am Saturday, January 7, 2012

By Mike Voss

Autopsy ‘inconclusive’ in New Year’s Day death at Hampton Inn

The death of a woman at the Hampton Inn in Washington on Sunday morning remains under investigation, said Mick Reed, chief of the Washington Police Department, on Friday.

“The autopsy was inconclusive. While there was no evidence of foul play, the investigation will continue until a cause of death is determined,” Reed said.

An autopsy of Christina Ball Sutton’s body was conducted Wednesday.

The Washington Daily News has requested copies of the autopsy report, toxicology report and investigative report from the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The medical examiner’s report of investigation and an autopsy report, once received and reviewed by the OCME, become public record.

When police officers responded to the Hampton Inn about 8:30 a.m., they found an unresponsive Sutton, 29, of Deer Tract Drive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Sutton had been employed at Econo Lodge in Washington.

All unattended deaths are investigated thoroughly until the department is satisfied with the cause of the death, according to a WPD news release.

A funeral for Sutton was conducted Friday. Memorials may be made to the Christina Sutton Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 1465, Washington, NC 27889.

About Mike Voss

Mike Voss is the contributing editor at the Washington Daily News. He has a daughter and four grandchildren. Except for nearly six years he worked at the Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., in the early to mid-1990s, he has been at the Daily News since April 1986.
Journalism awards:
• Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service, 1990.
• Society of Professional Journalists: Sigma Delta Chi Award, Bronze Medallion.
• Associated Press Managing Editors’ Public Service Award.
• Investigative Reporters & Editors’ Award.
• North Carolina Press Association, First Place, Public Service Award, 1989.
• North Carolina Press Association, Second Place, Investigative Reporting, 1990.
All those were for the articles he and Betty Gray wrote about the city’s contaminated water system in 1989-1990.
• North Carolina Press Association, First Place, Investigative Reporting, 1991.
• North Carolina Press Association, Third Place, General News Reporting, 2005.
• North Carolina Press Association, Second Place, Lighter Columns, 2006.
Recently learned he will receive another award.
• North Carolina Press Association, First Place, Lighter Columns, 2010.
4. Lectured at or served on seminar panels at journalism schools at UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Maryland, Columbia University, Mary Washington University and Francis Marion University.

email author More by Mike

More News

Smoke on the Water vendors advised to be wary of scammer

Governor declares State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Helene

Mentoring Monday: Male role models making a difference

Wheels, wings and a wish to give back

Print Article

SportsPlus

  • Polls

    Do you support expanded Opportunity Scholarships (school vouchers)?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...