Columbia woman found dead outside motel

COLUMBIA — A 26-year-old Columbia woman was found dead Thursday night outside the Red Roof Inn on East Texas Avenue.

Nicole Sue Crumby was found in the parking lot with a traumatic head injury around 9 p.m. when police responded to a report of a disturbance. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are treating this as a homicide while waiting for an autopsy to confirm whether the injury was a gunshot wound.

Police said a white vehicle was seen speeding away from the scene. The vehicle was later located by the Boone County Sheriff's Department in Midway. A police spokesman would not confirm whether a suspect was in custody.