Woman, 89, strangled by electrical cord

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - The death certificate for 89-year-old Mary Morrison shows just how violent her death was.

Her killer strangled her with an electrical cord in her apartment at Sentinel Pointe Retirement Community in Cascade Township. And, it would appear her attacker used enough force to fracture her neck, the death record shows.

Morrison, a retired records clerk at Blodgett Hospital, was found dead in her apartment on July 19 after she failed to show up for lunch. Her brother, Lyle Morrison, last week told 24 Hour News 8 he couldn't imagine why anybody would kill his sister. She had no enemies, he said. He said she also had no money, so he can't believe it was a robbery. He said nothing appeared to be taken.

So far, Kent County sheriff's detectives said they haven't ruled out any possible suspects or any possible motives. They say Morrison's lack of money doesn't necessarily rule out robbery -- that it's always possible a thief "believed" she had valuables.

Her home was in disarray, with chairs out of place and a lamp knocked over, police said.