Tyrone Washington Jr.
A woman was murdered in north-central Iowa Monday and the suspect was caught several hours later more than 200 miles away, driving the victim’s car.
Iowa DCI Special Agent in Charge Mike Krapfl says the investigation began with a call from the victim to the Worth County Sheriff’s Office at 11:41 a.m.
“Officers were dispatched to a location in Northwood in reference to a female who had possibly been stabbed,” Krapfl says. “Officers were able to establish a suspect vehicle…and the vehicle was ultimately spotted on Interstate 80 in southeast Iowa.
” The female victim, who’s name has not been released, was found in Swensrud Park in Northwood.
She was transported to Mercy Hospital North Iowa in Mason City where she died from her injuries. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
The victim identified her attacker as 39-year-old Tyrone Washington, Junior and said he was driving her car — a silver 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. The car was spotted by an Iowa State Trooper heading eastbound on Interstate 80 in Scott County at 3:30 p.m.
Krapfl says a chase ensued, lasting for roughly 12 miles, before the suspect’s vehicle left the roadway. “The vehicle went into a ditch and into a bean field where officers were able to apprehend the suspect,” Krapfl says. Washington is being held in the Scott County Jail on various traffic charges related to the pursuit.
Krapfl says Washington will eventually be transported back to Worth County where he’ll likely be charged with first-degree murder. For now, investigators are not discussing a possible motive in the case. “They (Johnson and the victim) had some type of relationship, I’m not exactly sure what that was. Officers are still conducting interviews to determine how they knew each other,” Krapfl says.
A release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety indicates during the pursuit, “intentional vehicle contact was used, resulting in damage to the Pontiac and State Patrol vehicles.” No law officers were injured. The agencies involved in the pursuit included the Iowa State Patrol, Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Walcott Police Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.