Police previously searched for missing woman in home where body was found

Neighborhood mourns loss of Springfield woman

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

More than a week before Gloria Dickinson’s body was discovered in a duplex Wednesday, Springfield police had searched for the missing woman at the same home, according to an incident report.

The 56-year-old woman’s family reported her missing last week, after not seeing her since Sept. 13. Police discovered her body in the home where neighbors said she lived for several years with another person. Officers found the body while serving a warrant at the home at at 41 North Douglas Ave.

On Thursday, a memorial consisting of flowers and candles was on the porch.

Police identified the body discovered at the home as Dickinson. But the Clark County Coroner’s Office said Thursday that it had not made positive identification. Investigator Pat Gleason said the body’s decomposed, so identification may take time, and officials may have to use dental records.

According to the incident report, police searched the left half of the duplex on Oct. 18 after Dickinson’s relative reported her missing and listed the left-side of the duplex as a possible dwelling of Dickinson’s. The occupant of that side of the duplex, Eric Beedy, gave officers permission to search the space, but police had “no luck” in locating Dickinson, the report said.

The incident report states that officers also checked several homeless encampments, hotels and Frisch’s restaurant, where Dickinson worked. Staff at the restaurant reportedly told police that Dickinson would not leave anywhere without her cellphone, which was located during police’s Oct. 18 search of the duplex.

Some neighbors also said they had not seen Dickinson since September.

Dickinson is no longer listed as a missing person, police records show.

A Springfield Police Department Evidence Collection Unit vehicle as well as the Clark County Health District were at the scene collecting evidence Wednesday.

Crews wore hazardous material suits before entering the home where the body was found because the conditions were deplorable, police said. They also hung a white tarp around the porch as they processed the scene.

The house has not had running water in several months, officials said.

A memorial honoring Dickinson was placed in front of the house.