Police say photo may show suspect vehicle in dragging death

Police released a photo Wednesday showing a vehicle they think may have struck and killed a 42-year-old Spokane woman on Sunday, and Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that help solve the crime. Witnesses near the intersection of Ash Street and Maxwell Avenue, where Susette G. Werner’s body was discovered about 4 a.m. Sunday, reported seeing a heavy-set man wearing a light colored, mid-length coat and driving a dark-colored boxy sport utility vehicle or van. They said the vehicle backed up from the intersection into a radiator shop parking lot on Ash, talked to the driver of a teal station wagon and got out of his car with a flashlight, according to police. The SUV in the photo was seen driving south on Ash, then turning east on Sinto Avenue. Werner left a North Monroe Street bar about 1:45 a.m., then visited a friend who worked at a nearby convenience store, friends said. Police are trying to figure out what Werner was doing in the hour before she was struck near the intersection of Cedar and Carlisle, which they think occurred between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m., then dragged nearly a mile. A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest. To submit a tip, call Crime Stoppers at (509) 327-5111.