FAYETTEVILLE -- The body of a woman in her 20s was found Wednesday afternoon in a home at 455 S. Hill Ave., police said.
Her death is being investigated as suspicious, said Sgt. Craig Stout, spokesman.
Police aren't releasing the woman's name, pending notification of family members, Stout said.
Police were called at 12:39 p.m. and were continuing to search two houses on the same property Wednesday evening. The body was found in one house and the other's address is 433 S. Hill Ave., where witnesses live, Stout said.
Police talked with about five people outside the houses, he said. The five walked to a nearby gas station where they sat near a sidewalk and watched police. All said they didn't want to talk to the media.
"It's still way too early to determine a cause of death," Stout said. The body is expected to be sent today to the state Crime Lab, he said.
A man was taken to a hospital from one of the two addresses, Stout said. Paramedics took a defibrillator inside one of the houses.
The houses are a couple blocks east of Fayetteville High School and about five blocks south of the University of Arkansas. The yards are overgrown with shrubs, grass and trees. Several neighbors described the homes as "derelict."
Caroline Kitzmiller, who rents a home nearby, said police have visited the houses about once a week during the past three weeks.
Kitzmiller said sometimes 20 people stay in the homes with people sleeping on couches on the porch. Tracy Mejia, whose family lives nearby, said two people who live there bully residents, try to hurt animals and are on drugs.
"They are just looking for trouble," Mejia said. "It's scary. They are very much on drugs. They fly sky high."
The 85-year-old houses are owned by Marcella Skaggs, according to county property records. Carla Martin, a neighbor, said Skaggs no longer lives at the addresses.
Across the street, neighbor Brian Jones said Skaggs' granddaughter, Tori Davis, still lives in one of the two homes.
Jones said he has complained to police many times about people who live on Skaggs' property. Mejia said she knew of one man who had multiple reports filed against him. At least one person living there is violent, Jones said.
Police reports on previous incidents at the property weren't immediately available Wednesday, Stout said.
Jones said methamphetamine might be on the property. About 4:30 p.m., police took several air-purifying respirators from their vehicles and headed toward the houses.
Martin said she never had problems with people at the two homes.
Jones said he was shocked someone died.
"Someone dying -- and it's not natural (causes) -- is not Fayetteville's way," Jones said.
NW News on 08/20/2015