A body discovered in the back of a U-Haul in Fullerton earlier this week has been identified as a 29-year-old woman whose family had reported missing nearly two months earlier, officials said.
Ashley Manning, of Anaheim, was reported missing in November, Sgt. Shane Carringer told KTLA. He said the report was taken out of Los Angeles County, but he did not know any additional details.
Manning’s body was found in the back of a U-Haul at a storage facility in Fullerton about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Carringer said the U-Haul had been rented and abandoned in Anaheim before it was taken to the storage facility at 2260 East Orangethrope Avenue for an inventory check.
There, employees discovered Manning’s remains. Carringer said the body was wrapped in plastic and cardboard, but did not elaborate on the condition of the remains. It is also unknown how long the body was inside the vehicle.
The death is being investigated as suspicious. The cause and manner of death have not been determined pending toxicology tests, Carringer said.
In a Dec. 9 Facebook post, Manning’s sister indicated her family last heard from Ashley on Nov. 13, when she got on a plane from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport.
“We have confirmation that she made it to LAX and are working with police to pull video footage to see what car she got into,” the Facebook post indicates. “If you hear anything from her or see her PLEASE contact me or LA/Orange County police.”
On Friday, the sister indicated that Ashley Manning’s body had been found.
“As a family we are trying to navigate this tragedy and this extremely hard time,” she wrote.
No further details about the ongoing investigation were available Friday.
Body found in back of U-Haul truck in Fullerton on Wednesday has been identified by Anaheim Police as 29 year old Ashley Manning of Anaheim. Police say cause of death is still pending while they await results of toxicology reports. pic.twitter.com/9pwQpn0zrt
— Chip Yost (@ChipYost) January 10, 2020
