Two People Found In Charred Car Were Slain

Two people whose bodies were found in a burned-out car off a rural road were homicide victims, the Yakima County coroner said Monday.

Authorities were trying to confirm the gender and identity of the bodies, which were badly burned, Coroner Leonard Birkinbine said.

Autopsies Monday failed to determine the cause of death.

The car was found Sunday in a field near a road two miles east of Toppenish, Birkinbine said.

The sedan apparently had not been involved in an accident, he added. Authorities were unsure who owned the car and how and when the fire started.

Yakima County sheriff’s detectives were not immediately available Monday evening to discuss why the deaths were considered homicides. Birkinbine declined to elaborate on his statement.