AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Police need the public's help in identifying a woman who went missing over the summer and is feared dead.
On Tuesday, Raven Payment with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Task Force of Colorado (MMIR) said Aurora Police contacted her about a possible homicide involving a woman they believe may be Indigenous. Police believe it may have happened at the Flying J travel center at 16751 E. 32nd Ave. in Aurora. That's located near Interstate 70 and North Airport Boulevard.
The woman, whose actual name is unknown, was known to frequent the Flying J. She is known as "Lil Bit."
"From what we understand, this man murdered her and put her in a suitcase from a truck stop in Aurora, the Flying J, and placed her somewhere along the highway 'in the weeds,'" Payment said.
Aurora Police told 9NEWS someone came forward with this information in September, but they believe the possible homicide happened in mid-July. Investigators were told the woman's body would never be found and that it was located somewhere along I-70, possibly between Aurora and Bennett.
"I really hope that none of this is true," Payment said. "'Horrifying' is the word that comes to mind."
Authorities admit they don't know much about this woman — just her nickname and her stature.
"She's about 4'11", they think, and you're talking about a petite woman with very long dark hair and that's kind of a very unique identifier," Payment said.
MMIR released a flyer on Tuesday hoping someone with information will see it. They included a photo on the flyer but said it was not of "Lil Bit," but rather an example of how long her hair is.
The woman is between 30 and 35 years old, according to the flyer. She is four feet, 11 inches tall, and about 130 pounds, with "extremely long" black hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo of a totem pole-style bear on her leg and was last seen wearing cutoff denim shorts and a red swimsuit.
Aurora Police cannot reveal much about the case but they explained to advocates that they can't move forward unless they have the woman's real name. Payment has been unable to locate a matching description in MMIR databases so she believes her family may not yet realize she is missing.
Payment hopes the woman is found alive but is prepared for the worst.
"If this is true then I hope we can identify her and allow her family to advocate for justice and closure and what that looks like for them," she said.
Aurora Police would not say if they have a suspect, but they said they are actively investigating the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.