Crime & Safety

Detroit Police Investigate Death of Park Woman

The body of a Grosse Pointe Park woman reported missing late Tuesday by her husband was recovered early Wednesday in the back seat of her car in an alley in Detroit.

The death of a woman is under investigation by Detroit Police after her body was found in the backseat of her car early Wednesday with signs of trauma, according to a release from Grosse Pointe Park Director of Public Safety David Hiller. 

Jane Bashara, 56, was reported missing by her husband late Tuesday, according to the release. Grosse Pointe Park police put her information as well as that from her car into a statewide Law Enforcement Information Network. As detectives began working to locate her early Wednesday, they were contacted by Detroit Police saying they'd found her car and body, Hiller's release says. 

The Wayne County Medical Examiner's office will perform an autopsy, which is currently scheduled for Thursday, to determine the cause and manner of her death. The release does not explain the kind of trauma she sustained.

Find out what's happening in Grosse Pointewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Detroit Police spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens said detectives interviewed residents in the area where her body was found. She said the investigation began immediately but investigators are awaiting the report from the Medical Examiner's office. 

Bashara last spoke with her husband in the late afternoon Tuesday, according to Hiller's release. She was believed to have come home from work but when her husband returned home about 8 p.m. she was not there. Attempts by her family to get in touch with her were unsuccessful and her husband reported her missing about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Hiller's release.

Find out what's happening in Grosse Pointewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sgt. Stephens said her body was discovered after the department received a 911 call about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday about an abandoned vehicle. An officer responded to check on the vehicle and found Bashara, Stephens said.

Bashara's car was found behind a vacant house in the 19400 block of Annott, Stephens said. According to Hiller's release this is close to the intersection of Bradford and Pinewood in Detroit. It is about 20 minutes north of Bashara's home.

Crime scene technicians were called to the scene to take photographs and gather possible evidence, she said, and detectives are investigating the circumstances of her disappearance. 

Bashara worked for KEMA Services in downtown Detroit, which is an energy consulting, testing and cerfication business with offices all over the world.

Patch is attempting to reach her family. 

Anyone with information is asked to call police: Grosse Pointe Park 313-822-7400 or Detroit Police 313-596-2200.

Bashara is the second Grosse Pointe Park resident to have been found dead in Detroit in the last week. The family of is preparing for his funeral service, which is Friday. He disappeared earlier this month and was found days later behind the Nature Center on Belle Isle. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.