An 87-year-old retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's detective was found dead inside her garage freezer. The horrific discovery was made after police got a call from the woman's daughter, who lives out of state, saying she was worried because she hadn't heard from her mother.
Sadly, the daughter's prediction that something was wrong was true. The body of Miriam Travis was found when police came to her home to do a welfare check.
Miriam's other daughter, known only as Carol, lived with her. Police questioned her to determine if she had any role in her mother's death. Although she was released, some believe that there was suspicious activity going on at the property in recent years. Authorities also said Carol's statements were inconsistent.
Neighbors noted that additional fencing had gone up around the property. Large storage units could be seen in the backyard. A tarp could also be seen in the garage, just behind the fence that went up in front of it. The changes even had the city code enforcement coming out to check on the property.
Neighbors also noted that Miriam and her daughter Carol were extremely antisocial but that they had not seen the retired deputy at all in recent months.
Cedric Valentin, a landscaper in the area, said he last saw Miriam four months ago. About a month ago, he saw Carol outside.
“I asked Carol, ‘Where’s Miriam?’ She said, ‘She’s in the house.’ I didn’t think anything of it. … It’s sad. Especially because she’s little, sweet Miriam. She’s in my heart, you know?” he said.
