Woman Found Dead in Suitcase at Kansas Fire Station

A disturbing homicide investigation is unfolding in Kansas after two people showed up at a fire station carrying a suitcase and told firefighters there was a body inside.

Police have now identified the victim as 67-year-old Lorretta M. Moody of Wichita.

The bizarre case began around 6:25 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, when two individuals arrived at Wichita Fire Station 22 at 2659 S. Hydraulic and alerted firefighters to what was inside the luggage.

Fire personnel immediately requested an urgent police response.

When Wichita officers arrived, they discovered Moody’s body inside the suitcase. She was pronounced dead at the scene before being taken to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Police initially withheld her name while waiting for fingerprint confirmation. On Friday, Sept. 18, the department publicly identified her as Moody.

Authorities also revealed that Moody had already been reported missing before the grim discovery, adding another unanswered question to the case.

Exactly how Moody died has not been publicly disclosed.

Police are treating her death as a homicide but have not announced any arrests or publicly accused anyone of causing her death.

The identities of the two people who brought the suitcase to the station have also not been released.

Investigators have interviewed those individuals and are trying to determine what connection, if any, they had to Moody and how her body came to be inside the suitcase.

Detectives and crime-scene investigators worked through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning interviewing people, examining evidence and canvassing the surrounding neighborhood.

Authorities said they are attempting to build a complete timeline of Moody’s final movements while identifying other locations and witnesses that could be connected to the case.

By Friday, police said investigators were continuing to conduct interviews and review evidence.

Despite the unusual circumstances, Wichita police said they have not uncovered information suggesting there is an ongoing danger to the general public.

The case remains active, and several major questions remain unanswered, including Moody’s cause of death, when she died, where she died and why her body was ultimately taken to the fire station.

Police have also not said whether the people who delivered the suitcase are considered witnesses, persons of interest or something else.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact Wichita Police Department homicide investigators at 316-268-4407.

The department is investigating the case under number 26C179314.