Police are investigating the death of an American Airlines flight attendant who was found with a sock in her mouth in a hotel room near Philadelphia International Airport.
The 66-year-old woman who was found at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott Monday night has not yet been publicly identified by police.
The woman was supposed to check out of the hotel on Saturday, according to WPVI-TV.
Hotel cleaning staff found the unresponsive woman and called law enforcement. After officers arrived at around 10:45 p.m., medics pronounced the woman dead, police said.
Law enforcement did not say whether the sock was deep enough to block her breathing or not, and did not say why it took two days for her body to be discovered. Autopsy results are still pending.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told WCAU-TV that the woman was “on several medications.” Although the going hypothesis is that the woman suffered a “sudden death,” said the chief inspector, officials are still investigating the case as a suspicious death.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry and no signs of weapon use or a struggle.
In an internal memo, American Airlines told employees that the woman “passed away suddenly” and that “the well-being of our team members is our top priority, and we will ensure that all those affected by this tragic loss have the support they need,” according to travel news website One Mile At A Time.
In a statement to USA Today, a spokesperson for the airline said, “We are devastated by this news … We will continue to cooperate fully with local law enforcement in their investigation.”
Marriott Hotels & Resorts told The Washington Times that “we are cooperating fully with the Philadelphia Police Department’s investigation.”
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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