A woman walking along a Philadelphia street found another woman suffering from head trauma so severe it was unclear if she was shot or beaten. the victim later died.
The passerby made the grisly discovery around 11:30 p.m. Monday along a desolate portion of N 3rd Street near Lehigh Avenue in West Kensington and alerted Philadelphia Housing Authority Police, said Philadelphia Police.
Officers found the woman – a Jane Doe appearing to be in her 40s – unresponsive on the ground with head trauma and injuries to her body, said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.
Housing officers rushed the woman to Temple University Hospital where she underwent surgery, said Small.
"The trauma to her head is so severe that staff at the hospital isn't certain if she is shot or it's other kind of head trauma," said Small.
Doctors pronounced the woman dead around 8:30 a.m., said police.
Small called the area "secluded" and "desolate" but said he hoped a few cameras near the are could help the investigation.
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"We don't know who did it," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross. "Obviously, we need the public's help if they saw anything -- regardless of what it was -- to give us a call."
