Stark authorities: Woman found dead was suspect in Akron homicide

Stark County Sheriff's Office
Stark County Sheriff's Office

A woman whose dead body was found in a Canton Township scrap yard this week was a suspect in the shooting death of her boyfriend last year in Akron.

The Stark County Sheriff's Office on Friday identified the woman as Suzanne Marie Thomas of Canton. Authorities said they believed her death "to be an isolated incident."

Thomas' body was discovered by a passerby just before 4 p.m. Wednesday in the 3700 block of Georgetown Road NE. The body was described as a white female with reddish-brown hair in her mid-30s and authorities initially asked the public for help in identifying her.

The cause of death has not yet been determined. The Stark County Coroner's Office has transferred Thomas' body to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

It is unclear how long Thomas had been dead before her body was found.

Thomas was named as a suspect in the homicide after her boyfriend Joseph Hall was found with a gunshot wound to the torso Nov. 30 at a residence in the 1300 block of Brandon Avenue in Akron. Hall was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives learned the couple had been arguing that evening over a car. They determined Thomas was involved in Hall's death and a warrant was signed that night for her arrest but Thomas was never taken into custody.

The man accused of shooting Hall, Darrell Lee Antwan Buchanan, was arrested Dec. 13.

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com

On Twitter: @aknappINDE

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County authorities identify body found in Canton Township scrap