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Burned Body In Van Is Missing Seffner Woman

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By CARLOS MONCADA | The Tampa Tribune
and MIKE WELLS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 15, 2007

Updated: 09/16/2007 07:03 am

Cuc Thu Tran

GIBSONTON - The body of a woman found inside of a burning van on Thursday was positively identified today as that of missing Seffner resident Cuc Thu Tran, Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

Tran, 50, left home at 5:30 Thursday morning for a jog. Her son reported her missing at 4 p.m. that afternoon, authorities said. Tran lived at 5212 Contata Court North, Lot 42.

Detectives do not yet know why Tran was killed or if she died because of the fire or another injury, he said. The cause of her death has not yet been released by the medical examiner.

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies found the burning van shortly before 7 a.m. that morning in a vacant lot at 9414 Bullfrog Court, off East Bay Road. The body inside was burned so badly that authorities could not make out the victim's race or sex at the time, officials said.

Before a positive identification was made, detectives had collected evidence near Tran's residence and a preliminary examination indicated she was the victim, officials said.

Detectives traced the van, which was a blue 1993 Dodge minivan that had been parked earlier at Advance Discount Auto's parking lot at 11850 E. Dr. Martin L. King Blvd., near Highview Road in Seffner.

Someone took it between 10:45 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday morning and set it ablaze in the Bullfrog Creek lot with Tran inside, Callaway said.

Tran, whom Callaway said was Vietnamese, held professional licenses as a cosmetologist and nail technician, and she lived in the Seffner area for several years and had lived in Worcester, Mass., according to records.

After the homicide was discovered, investigators canvassed morning commuters in the areas surrounding where Tran was last seen and where she was found, hoping to gain leads from anyone who might have seen a van matching that description, said sheriff's Maj. Harold Winsett.

Family members who answered the door Saturday at Tran's mobile home at Grandview Mobile Home Park, 5220 County Road 597, said they were too distraught to comment.

Neighbors were stunned and saddened by the news. They said family members often kept to themselves but appeared pleasant and friendly, waving and smiling. Tran was often seen tending to her garden or walking or jogging in the neighborhood.

"It's really tragic,'' said Robert Crowthers, who lives a few lots up from Tran. "I talked to her three days before at the pharmacy. They seemed really nice. The kids are always outside playing football. It's just sad what happened.''

Crowthers, who performs neighborhood watch duties in the neighborhood, said children have been warned not to walk outdoors by themselves.

"If this could happen to a grown lady, it could happen to any of the children around here,'' he said.

Another neighbor, Teresa Miller, said until recently the park has experienced few problems. Her husband's truck was stolen a few months ago, she said.

"It seems like all of this is now happening out here,'' said Miller, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than six years. "This is usually a pretty quiet park.''

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.

Stay with TBO.com for further updates.

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