CORONER: Woman found in burning car was dead before the fire

LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- The woman whose body was found in the trunk of a burning car early on October 18th has been identified as 33-year-old Whitney McCabe of Louisville. But preliminary autopsy results say McCabe was dead before the car burned.

The coroner's office says she died due to injuries sustained in an assault. It says that conclusion will not be 100 percent certain until toxicology results come back to make sure carbon monoxide wasn't in McCabe's blood.

LMPD's Homicide Unit is investigating the death as a homicide. Louisville Fire & Rescue notified LMPD after extinguishing the car fire behind a residence in the 1800 block of Greenwood Avenue.

Her uncle, John Weber, says his niece was a good mother of three children. The family has no idea what led to her death.

Weber says, "It hasn't been easy because we only know what we've been told by the detectives who found her, which wasn't good. Of course, we all think about what she went through the last couple of hours of her life. That's hard on everybody."

Weber says 98 percent of McCabe's life was great. He fears it's the two percent that might have ended it.

Police have no suspects, and anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous tip line at 574-LMPD.