The body of a Seattle woman was found inside a suitcase at a homeless encampment, which raised concerns about the dangers of these sites across the United States, as reported by Fox News.
Shannon Reeder, a 37-year-old mother, had been missing since November 2023. Her remains were discovered by police on 27 September 2024, in a suitcase near a pile of rubbish at an encampment by Seattle’s Dr Jose Rizal Park, while authorities were clearing the area.Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
“Detectives are working with those who knew her to put together a timeline of her movements prior to her death,” the Washington State Patrol said. They have urged anyone with information to contact investigators, as they continue to explore whether Reeder died at the camp or elsewhere.
According to the National Institutes of Health, violent crime rates are 40 times higher in homeless populations. Washington state has already closed 47 encampments in five counties since 2022, but the problem persists, with more than 31,000 homeless individuals across the state. King County, where Seattle is located, reported 14,149 homeless people during a 2023 count, making it the third-highest homeless population in the country after New York City and Los Angeles.
Mark Powell, a former reserve police officer in San Diego, condemned the lack of control over these camps. “There are campsites all over the state of Washington, in California – every state has campsites and there are rules and regulations in the campsites… none of those rules apply [in homeless encampments],” he told Fox News Digital.
He continued, “Somebody placed her in a suitcase and left her to die or left her to rot in the middle of an encampment. You would never see that happen anywhere else – you can’t just bury a person in your backyard.”
Crisis counsellor Scott Silverman, who works with homeless veterans, described the camps as unsafe for vulnerable groups. “Living in an encampment is not a safe thing for anybody… especially women, children and seniors because they’re easily targeted.”
Homeless encampments have also been linked to public health crises, with diseases such as hepatitis A, typhus, and tuberculosis spreading due to unsanitary conditions. Silverman and other officials stress that without regular supervision, these camps will remain a serious threat to the homeless and nearby communities.