Death called homicide

A Spokane woman’s suspicious death is being considered a homicide.

Sheriff’s officials were withholding the victim’s identity until after an autopsy, which is scheduled for today. Friends identified the deceased woman Monday as 34-year-old Kim Schmidt. She was found dead Sunday at her home in the 100 block of East Regina Avenue.

After initially classifying the death as suspicious, major crimes detectives with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office now believe someone killed the woman, and investigators gathered evidence overnight, sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan said in a news release. Deputies were alerted about 2:45 p.m. Sunday after a family member found the woman dead.

“Some interviews have been conducted, but more remain to be accomplished,” he said.

Reagan did not indicate whether detectives have identified a suspect.

“Many of the detectives who are working this case were called out for the Zehm suicide in Coeur d’Alene the night before, so they will be resting today and will resume working this homicide on Tuesday,” Reagan said.

In that case, police said 52-year-old Daniel Joe Zehm fatally shot himself during a police chase in Kootenai County.

In the Schmidt case, several friends have left condolences on the social media pages of her daughter and of the daughter’s father, who also lives in Spokane. Schmidt is listed as a 1995 graduate of Shadle Park High School and 2004 graduate of Eastern Washington University, where she studied accounting. She later worked for Pitney Bowes. Efforts to reach Schmidt’s daughter’s father for comment were unsuccessful.