MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Hennepin County Medical Examiner says the 24-year-old Georgia woman found dead in a trunk last month died as a result of “homicide by unspecified means.”
The medical examiner confirmed the body was that of Klaressa Lorayne Cook, of Gaynesville, Ga. Her body was found inside a vehicle at Wrecker Services, Inc. in Minneapolis around 11 a.m. on May 20.
During the investigation, it was determined that the woman’s body, later identified as Cook, was inside a vehicle that was towed from the Rainbow Foods parking lot in Brooklyn Park. Police said the vehicle was towed on April 11.
Employees noticed a smell coming from the vehicle and eventually found Cook’s body inside.
Cook had been living in Minneapolis.
Police have reported that they believe 24-year-old Alberto Prece Palmer is a suspect in Cook’s murder. He has already been charged in a similar crime — he is accused of murdering 18-year-old Brittany Clardy, of St. Paul, and stashing her body in the trunk of a car.
Clardy’s body was found in February after that vehicle was towed to a Columbia Heights impound lot.
Court documents say Palmer told police he met Clardy through an ad on the website backpage.com. He told authorities he had sex with Clardy then choked and beat her with a hammer.
Records show Palmer had outstanding warrants from Georgia for beating another woman he had also met through the backpage.com website.
Palmer is originally from Georgia. It’s not clear if the Palmer and Cook knew each other in Georgia.
