Police said the woman appeared to be in her 20s, but her name and cause of death had not been released.
MARYSVILLE, WA — Marysville police are investigating a homicide after a young woman’s body was found Wednesday inside a yard waste bin near an apartment complex on Grove Street, authorities said.
The discovery has drawn a large police response in a residential part of Marysville, where detectives are trying to identify the woman, determine how she died and learn when the bin was left near the complex. Police said the case remains active, and the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to make the formal identification and determine the cause and manner of death.
Officers were called shortly before 5 p.m. April 29 to the 5700 block of Grove Street, near 74th Street Northeast, after a resident reported finding a body in a green yard waste bin. Bob Stocks, who lives at the apartment complex, said he noticed the bin on the sidewalk while moving other bins back after pickup. “I was literally shaking like a leaf,” Stocks said, describing the discovery as disturbing. He said the bin was unusually heavy, so he opened it and saw the body before calling 911.
Police said the woman appeared to be in her 20s. Investigators said she was partially covered by a blanket and was wearing a T-shirt. Marysville Police Commander Robb Lamoureux said investigators had not found obvious signs of trauma at the scene. He also said the woman had no visible tattoos or other clear marks that immediately helped police identify her. Authorities had not released her name as of Friday, May 1. Police said it was not clear whether the woman died where she was found or whether the bin was moved there after her death.
Detectives processed the scene for several hours Wednesday night and canvassed the area for witnesses and video. Police said they are reviewing the timeline from Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon, including the period around the regular Wednesday morning waste collection. Neighbors told reporters they did not recognize the bin and said it may not have belonged to the apartment complex. Stocks said he believed the bin may have appeared after the morning pickup, but police had not confirmed exactly when it was placed there.
The case is being handled by Marysville police as a homicide investigation, though officials said several key facts remain unknown. Investigators had not announced an arrest, named a suspect or released a possible motive. Police asked residents and businesses nearby to review doorbell cameras, security video and other recordings for anything unusual involving the yard waste bin, vehicles or people in the area on Tuesday or Wednesday. Investigators also asked anyone with information to contact Marysville police detectives at 360-363-8378.
The body was released to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will be responsible for confirming the woman’s identity and ruling on how she died. That process can include fingerprints, dental records, medical records and other methods if a person is not immediately identified. Police said the medical examiner’s findings will help guide the investigation. Until then, officials said they are treating the area around the bin as a key evidence location and are looking for anyone who may have seen the bin before officers arrived.
Marysville is a Snohomish County city north of Seattle, with busy residential corridors near Grove Street and Interstate 5. The area where the woman was found includes apartment buildings, homes and local traffic moving between central Marysville and nearby commercial streets. Residents said the discovery was jarring because it happened in a place where people routinely put out and retrieve bins after collection. Police said the circumstances were unusual for the community and that detectives were working to follow every lead.
Stocks said the moment he opened the bin stayed with him after police arrived. He said he backed away, caught his breath and called for help. Detectives later blocked off the area, gathered evidence and spoke with people nearby. Police did not say whether the bin itself had been reported missing or whether it carried markings that could show where it came from. Investigators also had not said whether they found signs that the bin had been dragged, rolled or lifted into place.
As of Friday, May 1, the woman had not been publicly identified, and no suspect had been named. The next major update is expected to come from police or the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office as investigators confirm who she was and how she died.
Author note: Last updated May 1, 2026.