Woman found shot to death in Sears parking lot

WASILLA — A woman apparently dead from a gunshot wound closed a retail outlet parking lot for hours Friday, authorities said.

Wasilla Police responded to reports of a female dead from a gunshot wound in the parking lot of Sears, 1000 Seward Meridian Parkway, at about 2:30 p.m., Oct. 3, according to police officer Rick Manrique, reached by phone about 4 p.m., Friday.

Police were unable to immediately identify the woman, saying next-of-kin had not yet been notified, Manrique said.

He declined to identify the incident as either a homicide or a suicide, and said a police investigation into the incident was continuing.

Multiple calls for followup Saturday and Monday to Chief Gene Belden, Manrique, and the officer purportedly assigned the case file went unreturned.

Two Anchorage-area news media outlets had identified the woman as Karen Davis, 50, of Wasilla, but that couldn’t be confirmed Monday.