By Daily Press staff
The woman found dead on the bluffs below Palisades Park last October was murdered, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Dana Victoria Caper, who would have turned 42 years old on Wednesday, was found by a passerby on Oct. 29, lying on the bluffs about 30 feet below the park near Idaho and Ocean avenues.
The autopsy report from the coroner was completed on Tuesday, which shows the cause of death as a probable neck compression and other unknown factors, said Capt. David Campbell of the coroner’s office. Toxicology reports also show that Caper suffered from uterine leiomyomata, which is a non-cancerous growth on her uterus.
Caper, who was homeless, was found partially clothed — she was nude from the waist down.
“Right from the beginning, it was ruled as a possible homicide and sexual assault,” Campbell said.
The day Caper was discovered, it took a few hours to retrieve her body from the small shelf surrounded by rugged terrain. After the coroner’s office tried unsuccessfully to carry the body out, Santa Monica Firefighters eventually lifted Caper from the bluffs.
The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating the homicide, which was the eighth murder in 2002. In 2001, there were two homicides in the city.
“Currently, we are waiting for evidence to be returned from the crime lab,” said SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2003. Read the original PDF.