The death of a 23-year-old woman found in a wooded area in November has been ruled a homicide by the state Crime Laboratory, but the cause of Maranda Goldman's death hasn't been determined, Pine Bluff police said.
The ruling came as no surprise, Pine Bluff police spokesman Lt. David Price said.
"We've been treating it as a homicide since day one," Price said Monday.
Goldman was reported missing Oct. 8 after she visited a Goodwill store on 28th Avenue in Pine Bluff.
Her decomposed body was found Nov. 10 near the intersection of 38th and Ohio streets.
Police received an anonymous tip about where to find Goldman's body. Her car was found on the parking lot of Goodwill on the day she was reported missing. Her family said she had gone to the second-hand store to fill out an employment application.
Price said the police investigation is ongoing but that there were no suspects as of Monday.
"We need some new information from anybody who knows anything about it so we can proceed further," Price added.
Goldman's mother, Sandy Goldman of White Hall, is holding steadfast in her desire to find her daughter's killer.
"I just want justice for my daughter," said Goldman, who has two other daughters. "I'm just going to try and touch anybody and everybody that may know something. Somebody has to know something.
"The main thing is I just want to know who did this to my daughter."
Goldman said speculation about what happened to her daughter is widespread in Pine Bluff, which has a population of about 46,000.
"We've heard so much stuff," she said. "Some, I guess, is good information. Some is just crazy people [talking]."
Goldman admitted that she has shielded herself from many of the details.
"I just can't go there right now," Goldman said.
State Desk on 03/01/2016