Woman’s death investigated as homicide

The death of a 27-year-old woman found in an apartment Monday is being investigated as a homicide and early on, police say they have no suspects.

Members of a management company checked a unit at 221 Ryburn Ave. they believed was vacant and discovered the body, identified by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office as LaFrances Golden.

The woman was found on the floor at about 10:30 a.m. and the members of the management company who found Golden called police.

Dayton Sgt. Bill Keller said investigators also found a shell casing on a couch but it was unclear whether the woman had been shot.

“Apparently she had been living there a while, so there were communication problems between the former management company and the new management company,” Keller said.

Bella Monegan, a Dayton woman who was at the apartment building and identified herself as the victim’s aunt, said Golden had an ongoing dispute with “dope dealers.”

“People know (she) was fighting with these people,” Monegan said. “They know the people that did it. If you know who did this to (her) please speak up because I don’t think you would like it if this was your mother, father, sister (or) brother.”

Golden is survived by a 3-year-old daughter, according to Monegan.