GIG HARBOR, Wash. — A woman escaped from a Gig Harbor home where she was held captive for multiple days, according to the Gig Harbor Police Department (GHPD.)
The woman showed up at a home on the 10800 block of Sehmel Drive around 10 a.m. on Saturday with deep lacerations to her head. She told residents she escaped a nearby home where she had been held against her will for "multiple days" and an older man had beaten her immediately before she left, according to GHPD.
The woman told police she was picked up by a man she did not know in King County or Thurston County a few days before. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Officers identified the home the woman escaped from based on her description. When they arrived, they found blood on the porch. Deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department helped Gig Harbor police contain the house where they attempted to get in contact with the owner, but there was no answer.
After securing a warrant to enter the home, police discovered a 66-year-old man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There was evidence someone had tried to start a fire.
An investigation into this incident is ongoing.
"We're trying to build a history to find out what happened in the days leading up to this reported abduction, and try to create a timeline of where she came from, where' she's been, and we're working with surrounding agencies to see if they've had any contact with her," said Gig Harbor Chief of Police Kelly Busey.
"The case is a little complicated because the female victim really has no memory of what was happening. She doesn't recall where she met the man, she doesn't recall how long she's been there. She did admit to us, though, that she is a drug user."