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Aspen Woman Killed By Head Trauma

Police Probing Whether Cheryl Lurie Was Killed By Accident Or Foul Play

POSTED: 1:07 pm MST November 18, 2009

A popular Aspen woman found dead outside the town's library was killed by blunt force trauma to her head, the coroner revealed Wednesday.

Now investigators must determine whether 54-year-old Cheryl Lurie was killed by an accidental fall -- or foul play, said Aspen police spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro.

"Whether it was accidental or intentional, we're investigating all possible leads in this case," she said. "We don't want to rule anything out at this time."

Asked if police had any potential suspects, Dasaro declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

The 5-foot-2 woman's body was found lying face up on a grassy area between the library and the courthouse about 10:30 Monday morning. Police initially suspected she had died from exposure overnight as the temperature plunged to 3 degrees.

Her purse, coat and a glove were found about 10 yards to the right of her body, police told the Aspen Times.

Police only taped off a small area around her body when she was found, but returned to the plaza Tuesday night and taped off the entire area to look for evidence.

The Aspen Daily News reported that police could be seen collecting and bagging evidence.

"While it is a rare occurrence to have an incident like this happen in our community, we wish to express our condolences to Cheryl's family and friends," said Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor.

Lurie, a 35-year Aspen resident, was last seen Sunday evening strolling home from a restaurant where she'd watched the Broncos' game.

Police trying to create a timeline of her movements Sunday night are asking the public to report any sightings of Lurie or other information they might have on her. Witnesses can call the Aspen Police Department at (970) 920-5400.

Lurie was known for her volunteer work in the community.

"She was a great, wonderful woman. She was up here all the time volunteering for whatever needed to be done," Elks Lodge member Steve Saunders told the Daily News. "She was constantly helping out anybody who was in need. This is a real loss for the community."
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