UPDATE: Douglas County homicides determined not related to El Dorado case
khildebrand@recordcourier.com
Kurt Hildebrand / Record-Courier
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. — A woman killed in her home near Placerville is not related to two Gardnerville Ranchos homicides that occurred over the past week.
“We have reached out to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and spoken with their detectives, regarding two homicides which recently occurred,” the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office posted to its Facebook page. “It has been determined that the cases are not connected.”
According to the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home where the victim, Helen Hoover (McKinney), 60, was found dead on Dec. 18.
An autopsy revealed Hoover (McKinney) was killed as a result of blunt-force trauma.
She hadn’t been heard from between Nov. 29.
El Dorado investigators say her white 2017 Nissan 370Z convertible was found in Sacramento. No one has been arrested in connection with the killing.
Anyone with information about the El Dorado case is asked to call Detective Rich Horn at 530-642-4729.
People with tips about the Gardnerville Ranchos homicides may call the dedicated hotline 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 775-783-6030 or email dcsotips@douglasnv.us anytime.
ORIGINAL POST: Douglas County homicides may be similar to case in El Dorado County
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. — A homicide in El Dorado County may be similar to the two homicides that occurred in the Gardnerville Ranchos over the past week.
According to the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home where the victim, Helen Hoover (McKinney), 60, was found dead at her home southwest of Placerville on Dec. 18.
An autopsy revealed Hoover (McKinney) was killed as a result of blunt-force trauma.
She hadn’t been heard from since Nov. 29. There were no signs of forced entry at her home.
El Dorado investigators reported her white 2017 Nissan 370Z convertible was missing. It was later found in Sacramento.
Two women were killed over the course of five days in the Douglas County community of Gardnerville Ranchos. The two women lived alone within a mile of one another.
On Wednesday, Sheriff Dan Coverley said Douglas County investigators are contacting their counterparts in El Dorado County to compare notes and determine the cases’ similarity.
Anyone with information about the El Dorado case is asked to call Detective Rich Horn at 530-642-4729.
People with tips about the Gardnerville Ranchos homicides may call the dedicated hotline 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 775-783-6030 or email dcsotips@douglasnv.us anytime.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office dedicates hotline to tips regarding homicides
UPDATE: This story has been updated to include the location of Helen Hoover’s (McKinney) home, and the fact that her vehicle was recovered in Sacramento.
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