By MARGO HORNER, The Mirror
A 75-year-old Federal Way woman died in a violent homicide.
Jane Carol Britt was found dead in her car March 19 outside the Garden Terrace Alzheimer’s Center residential facility at 491 S. 338th St. in Federal Way. She had visited the center the previous day to see her husband, who is a resident there.
On March 21, the King County Medical Examiner reported the cause of death as asphyxia due to strangulation. The victim also had injuries from blunt force to her head and neck, reports said.
There is no indication that robbery was the motive for the murder, said police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.
Britt came to Garden Terrace nearly every day, said Todd Fletcher, spokesman for Life Care Centers of America, which operates Garden Terrace. Her husband has been a resident there for nearly two years.
When Britt didn’t return home from her Tuesday evening visit, her grown son began to worry, according to a Federal Way Police Department press release. On Wednesday, he drove to Garden Terrace looking for his mother and called police when he couldn’t find her.
Officers responded and found Britt dead in her car at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Detectives seek information from the public to help solve the case.
“Our biggest push is to try to locate individuals who may have seen her or her vehicle in the area in the last 48 hours,” Schrock said.
Britt was driving a gold 2002 Mercedes 320 four-door sedan.
Fletcher said Garden Terrace is enhancing security as a result of the murder.
“We have security at night now and we have a security camera, but we’re looking at adding more. We’re also looking at lighting at the facility and around the exterior and have talked to Federal Way about the street lights,” he said.
The one security camera that Garden Terrace had the night of the murder was hooked to a live monitor and not recording.
Grief counselors were made available to Britt’s husband and other residents at Garden Terrace on Thursday.
“Some of our residents don’t understand, and then the residents who want to talk about it are talking about it with their nurses and caregivers. Those that they know or trust are keeping a close eye on them and their well-being. There have also been a lot of family visitors today,” Fletcher said. “Their safety and well-being is our highest priority.”
Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call detective Doug Deyo at (253) 835-6891 or call 911.
Contact Margo Horner: mhorner@fedwaymirror.com
