Woman’s Body Found Shot At Apartment Fire Scene

Investigators on Thursday were trying to determine the manner of death of a woman found in her burning apartment with a gunshot wound in her back, Chelan County officials said.

Authorities responded to a 911 call from neighbors about a Thursday morning fire at a one-story apartment building, Sheriff Dan Breda said. Officers put out the blaze, which was confined to a chair.

Firefighters and a sheriff’s deputy who then checked the unit’s back bedroom found a dead woman with a gunshot wound, Breda said.

The body was found face down on a bed. A revolver was next to the body.

The woman had been wearing a robe and had a blanket draped over her, sheriff’s inspector Mike Harum said.

The victim was identified as Nancy Ann McCarthy, 53, who lived in the apartment.

“At this point, we are still unwilling to identify this as a homicide or a suicide, and will continue our investigation,” Breda said.

Coroner Gerald Rappe said the woman apparently died of a gunshot wound. An autopsy was scheduled Friday.

Rappe said some evidence - including blood spatters found on the woman’s hands - indicated the woman may have shot herself.

“It appears it was highly likely she was holding the gun,” Rappe said.

But other circumstances point to homicide, including the possibility that the fire may have been set to cover up the death, he said.

Fire investigators will try to determine if the fire was arson, he said.

Rappe said the woman appeared to have died around the time the fire started.

Investigators questioned McCarthy’s husband, who told authorities he was at work when his wife died.