Investigation into death of woman found in Arkansas hospital's parking lot closed; autopsy inconclusive, police say

NWA Democrat-Gazette/SPENCER TIREY Northwest Medical Center in Springdale.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/SPENCER TIREY Northwest Medical Center in Springdale.

After an inconclusive autopsy report, police have closed their investigation into the death of a woman who was found dead in a car outside an Arkansas hospital.

Lt. Jeff Taylor, a spokesman for the Springdale Police Department, said Friday that the state Crime Lab was unable to determine the 45-year-old Christy Nichols' cause of death.

In September, the Missouri resident's body was found outside the Northwest Medical Center in Springdale.

Police said Nichols appeared to have been inside a black Mazda 6 in the hospital's southwest parking lot for some time. She was reportedly found in the driver's seat with her seat belt still buckled.

The woman was last seen alive Aug. 6 at the Catalyst Church in Bentonville, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

The investigation into her death has been closed, Taylor said.

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