The death of a woman found lying on a street in Bend is being investigated as suspicious.
Bend Police said Jeri Lynn Davies, 51, of Bend was found at about 6:36 a.m. Monday lying on NE 2nd Street near DeKalb Avenue.
She had multiple injuries. Bend Police said they could not discuss the nature of the injuries at this time.
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Davies was taken to St. Charles in Bend where she was pronounced dead early Tuesday morning.
“She had injuries, she was laying in the street, so it’s important to us to make sure that if someone caused her death, that that person is held accountable,” Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said. “We just don’t know that at this point, and so it’s important for us to investigate this.”
Police say witnesses reported that Davies had frequented the area.
John Lodise works at the Shepherd’s House Ministries shelter on NE 2nd Street, near where Davies was found. He says he knew Davies.
“For us, it’s not just a crime or a suspicious death,” he said. “We’ve lost somebody that we cared about who is coming to us for help, at least at some level, and we’re going to miss that person.”
He says for several years the shelter, the City of Bend and nearby businesses have worked cooperatively to improve safety in the area.
“We think that where we stand today, the street is much cleaner than it was,” he said. “We think what we’ve achieved with the folks we work with, they’re much more aware of how they could potentially impact our neighbors, and they’re much more considerate.”
To him, the death is a painful reminder work must continue to make the area near NE 2nd St. and DeKalb Ave. safer for those living and working in close proximity.
“We can’t say that it’s 100% (safe) yet, we can’t say that there aren’t any problems, but we really feel we have made an improvement since we’ve been here,” Lodise said.
Police have scheduled an autopsy Wednesday and hope to be able to determine a cause of death.
The area of NE 2nd Street between DeKalb and Emerson avenues was closed for several hours, but has since reopened.
