Authorities suspect that a woman found hanging dead may have been the victim of a staged suicide, following the discovery of disturbing clues.
Neighbors discovered the body of 30-year-old Giselle Salazar-Tapia, a mother of four, hanging from a dock at Texas’ League City Wharf Marina, where she lived on a boat with her boyfriend, James Hart.
The League City Police Department announced the find on May 31 through its Facebook page, indicating that initial observations suggested something was amiss.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Salazar-Tapia lifeless, hanging by a rope from the dock.
“Officers and detectives conducting the death investigation began speaking with the victim’s friends and residents in the area,” the police department’s post read. “A man who was possibly the victim’s boyfriend, became very distraught and would not come out of his boat.”
After a short time, officers managed to speak with Hart, off the boat.
The suspicious evidence continued to mount, including an unusual discovery that now seems to be a crucial clue.
According to KTRK, when Salazar-Tapia was found, her arm was suspended in the air, on its own, with nothing holding it up. Lt. Eric Cox of the LCPD offered an explanation for this.
“We believe she probably passed away with her arm extended up above her head like that,” Cox said, “and then rigor mortis had set in prior to her being placed like that.”
Watch the video report below from ABC13:
Police have identified two persons of interest in the suspicious death.
Hart insists he is innocent in the matter.
According to Hart, his girlfriend left the boat after midnight to use the bathroom and never returned. He claims he checked the bathrooms when Salazar-Tapia didn’t come back but was unable to find her.
Two cameras on Hart’s boat appeared to have been tampered with: one was turned away from the boat, and the other was completely missing.
Authorities have interviewed both individuals, stating they had the “closest interaction” with Salazar-Tapia while she lived at the dock.
Investigators are also reviewing nearly 2,000 surveillance videos that may provide clarity on the circumstances of her death.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to cover Salazar-Tapia’s funeral expenses and support the children she left behind.
