Officials: Body found in missing woman’s car had puncture wounds

<p>A body found in the back seat of a missing Paterson woman&rsquo;s car had puncture wounds and authorities have ruled the death a homicide, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office.</p>

News 12 Staff

May 7, 2018, 10:03 AM

Updated 2,353 days ago

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A body found in the back seat of a missing Paterson woman’s car had puncture wounds and authorities have ruled the death a homicide, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
But officials have still not said if the body is that of missing Paterson mother Shanaya Coley. Coley went missing Dec. 5, 2017. Investigators believe she was the victim of a carjacking and kidnapping.
Coley’s car was found in the parking lot of 238 Marion St. in Paterson Sunday morning. The gray Nissan Altima was registered in Coley’s name. Officials say that police officers found the body in the back seat of the vehicle after they were called to the apartment complex for reports of an unattended vehicle.
It was not immediately known if the vehicle had been in the parking lot since Coley went missing or if it was parked there at a later date.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office says that the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Newark will conduct further tests to positively identify the body found in the car as Coley.
Anyone who may have any information about Coley’s disappearance is urged to contact the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or email tips@passaiccountynj.org. One can also contact the Paterson Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.