Woman found on ground behind auto repair shop; police investigate as homicide

Woman found dead behind North Austin business

Police are investigating a murder off Research Blvd. in North Austin. They said a woman's body was behind a business Monday morning.

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Police are investigating a murder off Research Boulevard. Police said they found a woman dead behind a business Monday morning.

What we know:

APD says the incident happened in the 8200 block of Research Boulevard service road northbound.

"Late last night, early this morning, we had a female murdered right here in our city," Austin Police Cpl Jose Mendez said.

It wasn’t until around 7:40 a.m. when police got a call that someone coming into work at the auto shop found a woman lying in the woods behind the shop. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:53 a.m.

"I don't know what kind of gap we're looking at from the time it took place, to the time that it was reported, or the victim was observed in the back of the property," Cpl Mendez said.

FULL: APD briefing on North Austin homicide

The Austin Police Department is investigating a homicide in the 8200 block of Research Boulevard service road northbound.

Police said the woman is in her 30's or 40’s. Her name hasn’t been released yet.

Police have not yet found the person responsible.

"We don't have any suspects in custody. We don't have any vehicle descriptions," Cpl Mendez said.

They said they are confident they will figure out who did this and why they did it.

"To the person responsible for this, plain and simple, we're coming for you, and we will find you," Cpl Mendez said.

APD also stated that there is a homeless camp near the scene, but that it is currently unknown if the woman was homeless.

Witness nearby reports hearing "something like a pop"

What they're saying:

Fannie Hayes-Barnicle said she was camping out with her husband and dog in the field next to the German Auto Shop off Research Boulevard when it happened.

"I heard something like a pop. I thought I was first hearing a gunshot and then me and my husband, I said, well, maybe it’s firecrackers, sounded closer to that, so we all went back to sleep. I think my husband saw the car come through. That was after we had had dinner, so that was like late, between 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning, but there was no activity, no fighting, no evidence of struggle, anything like that," Hayes-Barnicle said.

What's next:

The investigation is still in the very early stages, but it appears the victim was shot in a field by an unknown suspect(s) who fled the area. 

Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the area to come forward so detectives can further investigate.

What you can do:

This is being investigated as Austin's 46th homicide of 2025.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by clicking here or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.