Police seek link between deaths of two women

Eric Leake

Thursday, May 5, 2005 | 9:40 a.m.

Police continued to investigate Wednesday whether the deaths of neighboring women at the Silver Pines apartment complex Tuesday are related.

Metro homicide detectives investigated the apartment of Marilee Coote, 45, Wednesday afternoon and called her death "suspicious."

Across the complex parking lot, at 6650 E. Russell Road near Boulder Highway, police had sealed the apartment where Rena Gonzales, 25, was found strangled Tuesday afternoon.

Homicide Detective Don Tremel said there is no known connection between the two deaths other than their proximity. But that, he said, caught police attention.

"It could be just a very weird coincidence," Tremel said. "It is very strange ... We're covering our bases."

The coroner's office had not determined the cause of Coote's death as of Wednesday afternoon.

Police said Coote worked at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy and was an immigrant from Belize.

She did not arrive at work Tuesday. People at the school became concerned and called apartment management. Coote was found dead in her apartment shortly before 10 a.m.

People outside Coote's apartment who may have been her relatives or friends declined any comment.

Homicide Detective Sheila Huggins said neighbors told her that Coote and Gonzales were acquaintances. She said there is less than a two-hour window between when Gonzales was last seen alive and Coote was found dead.

Gonzales' two daughters, ages 5 and 7, found their family apartment door unlocked and their mother dead inside about 4 p.m. Tuesday when they returned from school.

Police confirmed Wednesday that Gonzales was found with a telephone cord around her neck and that there were no signs of a forced entry. She was unemployed.

Pauline Gonzales is Rena Gonzales's grandmother. She said she legally adopted Rena and raised her as a daughter.

Pauline Gonzales said the children's father lives out of state and that they are now staying with her son -- their grandfather and Rena's father.

Neighborhood children played in the complex parking lot Wednesday afternoon behind a gate and under the watch of security cameras.

A neighbor who lives next door to Gonzales' apartment said he was at work all day Tuesday and came home to a crime scene. He said he has never seen any problems at the complex and feels safe.

"But now I don't know," he said.

Valerie Washington and another neighbor, Carlos, who only gave his first name, stopped as they passed the apartments and talked about the deaths.

"Isn't that frightful? My goodnes," Washington said. She shook her head and said she may become concerned once more is known about the deaths.

"It depends who did it and whether they're connected," she said.

Carlos, 44, said he has lived at the complex since it opened two years ago and had never heard of any serious problems.

"Nothing like this," he said. "This is just shocking."

Carlos said he does not give out his last name and watches out for himself.

"I provide my own safety," he said. "I mind my business. I don't let people I know in my house. That's me."

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