63-year-old woman's death inside Gwinnett County home called 'suspicious'

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The Gwinnett County Police Department is investigating a suspicious death that happened on Collins Port Cove in Suwanee.

Police said they found a 63-year-old woman dead in the basement apartment of a home.

Investigators said the woman, identified as Dorothy Ann D'Anna, rented the apartment from the homeowners. The homeowners told police they had been out of town. When they returned and went to speak with D'Anna, they found her dead.

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The couple then ran next door to their neighbor, Joshua Belcher, for help.

Belcher told Channel 2's Tony Thomas he ran to help and found the D'Anna's body in her bed, covered by a blanket, and it appeared that a pillow had been pushed over her face. He said she also appeared to be bruised.

“It was disheveled,” Belcher said, describing the scene inside the apartment. He said his neighbor almost collapsed in his arms after learning her renter was dead.

On Monday afternoon, Thomas saw police searching a trash can near the home for evidence.

Officers said the cause of death is currently unknown.

"We have a lot of unanswered questions right now: what the exact cause of death is, what led the person that called to think something was suspicious about it," Gwinnett County police Cpl. Wilbert Rundles said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, and the cause of death will steer the case.

Cox Media Group