Two bodies found

Two bodies were found Sunday morning in different parts of Spokane.

The unrelated deaths are both being investigated as suspicious, the Spokane Police Department said.

The first body was discovered about 8 a.m. in a stairwell in an alley at Second Avenue and Madison Street, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe.

“A transient found her, and called in that a female wasn’t breathing,” DeRuwe said.

Police identified the woman, in her 40s, but were withholding her name pending notification of family.

The cause of death won’t be known until an autopsy later this week.

Three hours later, officers were called to the north bank of the Spokane River, where West Boone Avenue ends at the Sans Souci West Mobile Home Park.

A transient had found a body snagged in the trees in the river.

The body was partially submerged, and badly decomposed, DeRuwe said.

The Spokane Fire Department water rescue unit retrieved the unidentified body over steep cliffs.

DeRuwe said police had not been able to identify the gender of the body.

DeRuwe said detectives are looking into the possibility the body may be that of a man who jumped in the river after fleeing police several months ago.

“We don’t know if that guy lived or not,” DeRuwe said. “We were never able to make contact with him to find out why he was running from police.”

The cause of death won’t be known until an autopsy is complete, also later this week, she said.