Philadelphia

Police Search for Boyfriend in Delaware County Woman's Throat Slashing

Update: Yeadon police said Friday Mark Epps is no longer a person of interest in this crime.

Police continued to search Friday for the estranged boyfriend of a woman found dead with her throat slashed near her friend's suburban Philadelphia home.

The body of 32-year-old Natasha Gibson was found early Thursday feet from the front door of her friend's home on Baily Road near Orchard Avenue in Yeadon, said police. [[394527521, C]]

"He looked out the front door and discovered her there," said Yeadon Police Chief Donald Molineux.

The suspect, who fled the scene, suffered a hand or arm wound during the incident, said police. A blood trail led police to Philadelphia, where they found a knife in a sewer. [[394524001, C]]

On Thursday, police named Mark Epps as a person of interest in the slaying.

Epps, 35, has a history of violence, had recently threatened to kill Gibson and she was afraid of him, said Yeadon Police Chief Donald Molineux. Epps' criminal history includes assault, weapon and drug charge, said Molineux. Epps was released from prison last year.

"No, he had nothing to do with this," Epps mother said. Lisa Epps said her son did date Gibson but was living in Kensington and would not have been in the Yeadon area. "OK, what happened [is] he got beat up down here, not once but twice and I was so afraid he was going to get killed down here that I set him up in Kensington," said Lisa Epps. "He has not been bothered with that girl since."

Police asked anyone with information on the whereabouts of Mark Epps to call 911 or Detective J. Houghton with Yeadon police at 610-625-1500 or 610-622-7835.

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Yeadon Police Dept.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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