Oneida, TN (2008-10-01) The sudden death of an Oneida woman is under investigation by the Oneida Police Department. At this time, authorities don’t suspect anything criminal happened to the victim.
According to Oneida Police Chief Mike Cross, the Oneida Police Department is currently investigating the death of Elizabeth Y. Burgess, 44, of 165 Litton Road in Oneida. Burgess was reportedly found dead in the bedroom of her home Saturday night.
Initial calls to 911 lead authorities to believe that Burgess may have been a victim of a crime; however, the preliminary investigation into her death has discredited most of the early accounts. According to a complaint card on file at the Oneida Police Department, the first call to 911, which was received by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, reportedly suggested that Burgess might have been shot. A subsequent 911 call reportedly implied that she might have been beaten with a baseball bat.
A preliminary examination of the scene, stated Cross, showed no signs of a confrontation and the victim’s body reportedly did not exhibit any signs of blunt trauma.
Burgess’ body has been taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for autopsy; however, given the backlog of cases, authorities believe that, as of Wednesday, it had not been performed.
Investigator Alan Reed of the Oneida Police Department, along with TBI Agents Jerry Spoon and Mark Irwin, are leading in the investigation into Burgess’ death.