Police questioning husband after woman found dead in Garfield Heights, family says

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH (WOIO) - Officials say they are investigating the suspicious death of a woman in the 12800 block of Orme Road in the Garfield Heights area.

Police received complaints from the victim's family, who said they could not contact her. The woman was identified by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner as 38-year-old Lavora Allen. She dropped her daughter off at Garfield Senior High School on Monday morning, but she never returned to pick her up at the end of the school day. The daughter told police that she walked home from school and noticed that her mother's car was gone and the rear door to the house was open.

While police were talking to a family member, a relative found Lavora Allen unresponsive at the bottom of the basement stairs. Her pants were apparently pulled down and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

It's unclear how exactly the victim died.

"This is a tragedy, here," said the victim's niece by marriage, Brynda Allen. "This is a sad thing, here."

Garfield Heights police had a man in custody Tuesday for questioning. Family members say it's the victim's husband, whom she married about a year ago.

They say he was very controlling and didn't want family around.

Police say the couple had an argument within the past week.

No charges have been filed in the case.

The car that had been reported missing has since been located.

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