By Blake Deshazo

The Selma Times-Journal

The death of a 29-year-old woman who died after being found unconscious Monday afternoon on the side of County Road 74 has been ruled a homicide.

Dallas County Coroner Alan Dailey identified the victim as Crystal Johnson. Lt. Curtis Muhannad with the Selma Police Department said a preliminary autopsy revealed Johnson died from “blunt force trauma.”

According to Selma Police Department Lt. Curtis Muhannad, a passing motorist discovered the victim near the intersection of County Road 74 and Old Montgomery Highway and notified law enforcement around noon.

“A passerby believed they saw someone on the shoulder of the roadway off County Road 74,” Muhannad said. “They turned around and stopped to check what they saw. They found a female in her late twenties covered in blood and unconscious.”

Muhannad said the cause of death is unknown at this time. The woman was pronounced dead at Vaughan Regional Medical Center.

“We’re not ruling out anything right now,” Muhannad said. “It could be a possible hit and run, but we don’t know what we have. We won’t know until we get everything looked at before we can determine what may have caused death.”

According to Muhannad, investigators don’t know how long the female was lying on the side of the road before she was found.

“We’re trying to find any evidence, motives or maybe who she was riding with,” Muhannad said. “We’re trying to retrace her steps.”

According to Muhannad, the case is being treated as a death investigation. Muhannad said the department will know more once an autopsy is performed and investigators are able to determine what injuries the victim suffered.

The Selma Police Department is asking anyone with information concerning the investigation to notify Crime Stoppers at 1-866-442-7463 or (334) 874-2588.