Kent Police found a 45-year-old Kent woman dead Tuesday in her East Hill apartment from a "violent homicidal death."

Police responded to a call at about 10:22 a.m. Tuesday from a friend of the woman about a suspicious death at an apartment at the Village at Lake Meridian Apartments, 25811 110th Ave. S.E.

Officers entered the apartment and quickly called detectives because it was apparent the woman had not died from natural causes, said Kent Police Lt. Pat Lowery in a phone interview.

"The apartment was in a state of disarray and there were signs of a struggle," Lowery said. "That's why we have termed it a violent homicidal death."

Police do not have any suspects, but think the woman knew whoever entered her apartment.

"We believe it was not a random incident," Lowery said. "Somebody had been allowed into the apartment from what our initial investigation showed."

Many friends and relatives of the woman showed up at the apartment after word spread about her death. Lowery said the woman is a grandmother and the mother of two grown daughters.

"She'll be greatly missed," Lowery said.

Detectives are waiting for an examination by the King County Medical Examiner's Office before releasing the name of the woman or her cause of death.

"We don't know that," Lowery said about a cause of death. "We have not disturbed the body yet. We'll let the medical examiner do an examination and determine the cause."

The woman lived alone at the apartment.

Detectives are interviewing family and friends of the woman to try to find a lead about a suspect or motive.

"This is a rotten deal right before the holidays," Lowery said.

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Contact Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

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