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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010_08_30_Suspicious Death BAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE Greg Williamson, Chief of Police ________________________________________________________________________ Contact: Sergeant Mary DeGeare Public Information Officer 661-326-3803 mdegeare@Bakersfieldpd.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2010 On 8/28/10, at about 9:00 p.m., Bakersfield Police responded to a report of a deceased female lodged in the fireplace flue at 4309 La Mirada. The woman was located by a friend of the homeowner who was taking care of the man’s fish tank while he was away. The house sitter detected a strong odor coming from the fireplace and upon inspection located the deceased woman lodged in the flue approximately two feet above the top of the fireplace interior opening. Investigators arrived and members of the Bakersfield Fire Department spent five hours dismantling the chimney and flue from the exterior of the home to access the and remove the body. The autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. The woman has been identified as Jacquelyn Kotarac 49, a a local medical doctor, who was reported missing on Thursday 8/26/10. She was last seen Wednesday night at about 10:15 p.m. at 4309 La Mirada trying to force her way inside as she was involved in a dating relationship with the resident. The resident left the house undetected to avoid a confrontation and stayed the night elsewhere. When Kotarac did not arrive for work on Thursday, both her assistant and the resident searched for her at the La Mirada home and located her car and belongings but there was no indication she had ever gained access to the home. She was reported missing by the resident and her medical staff on Thursday afternoon. People were inside the home during the days following but there was still no indication she was there. It was not until Saturday evening; the decomposition of the body in the fireplace flue became evident and was detected by the house sitter. The Bakersfield Police Department has been investigating the death as suspicious from the onset and there is no evidence of foul play. All the evidence thus far indicates Kotarac accessed the roof via a ladder and on her own volition removed the chimney cap and slid down the flue feet first. The investigation continues.