Mother hopes for answers two years after daughter’s dragging death

Vicky Littell will never lose hope.

Two years after her daughter was dragged to death by a motorist who has never been identified, the Spokane woman prays that someone, somewhere will help her find closure.

“There is someone out there who knows who did this,” Littell said.

Today is the two-year anniversary of Susette G. Werner’s death.

Werner was 42 when police believe she was struck by a vehicle near Cedar Street and Carlisle Avenue in the early morning hours of Feb. 8, 2009.

Her body was found on Ash Street just north of Maxwell Avenue, where a memorial of flowers still stands.

Littell arranged Valentine’s decorations at the memorial on Monday.

“Maybe somebody will go by it and say ‘Oh jeez, I did see this and maybe I should call it in,’ ” Littell said.

Werner had recently moved to a new apartment and begun work as a bookkeeper. Her family says she also was an alcoholic. An autopsy by the Spokane County medical examiner’s office said her blood-alcohol level was 0.37 when she died – more than four times the legal limit for driving.

Werner was at Casey’s bar on North Monroe Street the night of her death, though witnesses say she didn’t appear drunk.

But that was several hours before police believe she was struck. Her parents believe she may have been drinking with someone, possibly the person responsible for her death, during those hours.

Werner’s father, Gene Littell, 88, has vowed to forgive the driver.

Vicky Littell, 72, said Monday that police haven’t talked to her about the investigation in more than a year. But she visits her daughter’s memorial regularly.

“I just feel close to her when I’m there,” Littell said. “I’m going to keep it up until something comes up and we find who did this.”