Medical examiner: Woman found dead in abandoned Asheville Denny's was strangled
ASHEVILLE - A woman whose body was found in an abandoned restaurant was strangled, and she suffered blunt trauma to the head, according to an autopsy report from the state medical examiner's office.
Kimberly Jarvis, 49, was first found by Asheville police in October 2021, at an abandoned Denny's restaurant on Patton Avenue, the Citizen Times previously reported.
"The cause of death is strangulation," the autopsy says. "A contributing condition is blunt trauma of head. The manner of death is homicide. ... According to the Buncombe County Medical Examiner, the decedent was found at a vacant restaurant. She was reportedly face down with her pants rolled down to her knees."
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The medical examiner's investigation report says she was found that way with a blanket fully covering her.
"Unfortunately, because (she) is homeless, it is unclear when she was last known to be alive," one section of the report says.
Police first found Jarvis while conducting a search of the vacant restaurant at 675 Patton Ave. on the afternoon of Oct. 27, the department said in a press release at the time.
In November, the Citizen Times reported that APD released surveillance video of a man they believed had been with her "recently," saying that he might "have information vital to the investigation" in a press release. They did not call him a suspect.
The medical examiner's investigation report says that, according to law enforcement, Jarvis had a "recent history" of unintentionally overdosing on an unknown substance, and that she refused medical evaluation.
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The autopsy says she had amphetamines and gabapentin in her system.
Jarvis' last name was initially reported as Randall, but the autopsy lists her as Kimberly M. Jarvis. Her birth certificate says she was born Kimberly Michelle Randall.
The Citizen Times could not immediately reach Capt. Joe Silberman, who oversees the police department's criminal investigations division, for comment on the afternoon of May 18.
Spokesperson Bill Davis said there was "nothing new" to report regarding the case, that there were persons of interest but no suspects, that there was still an active investigation and that tips from the public could be helpful.
"Sometimes that one tidbit will help," he said. "We want answers, but even more importantly, the family wants answers."
Asheville police reported 10 homicides in 2021. So far, the department has reported five in 2022.
Police are asking for anyone with information to send an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD to 847411, or using the TIP2APD smartphone app. Calls can be made to 828-252-1110.
Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email coehrli@citizentimes.com or call/text 252-944-6816 for tips.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Medical examiner: Strangulation, trauma for body found in Denny's
