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Cops Have Leads in Burned Missing Woman Case

By Amanda Raus

| Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 | Updated 9:41 AM EST

Cops Have Leads in Burned Missing Woman Case

Police in New York believe a body found burned in North Stonington is missing woman Rebecca Koster.

On Friday night off a secluded road in North Stonington, police found a woman's body. She was on fire. Connecticut State Police ruled it a homicide, but for days, no one knew who the woman found on Jeremy Hill Road was.

Five days later, Suffolk County, New York police identified her as Rebecca Koster, 24, who had last been seen in Medford, on Long Island, around 3:30 a.m. on Friday -- the morning of the day on which her remains were found across the Sound in southeastern Connecticut.

On Thursday, Connecticut state police said they have leads based on evidence found at the crime scene.

Koster's family was too distraught to say anything about their daughter's death and Koster's neighbors in Medford and friends were shocked to hear the news.

On Koster's MySpace page, friends have left messages telling Koster she will be remembered and to rest in peace. Before those posts, the messages were of concern. They told Koster to get home safe and asked where she was.

Suffolk County police say the 24-year-old had gone to the Butcher Boy Bar in Holbrook the night before she disappeared. After the bar, police believe, she was dropped off at home, but when a relative tried to wake her in the morning, she was no where to be found.

Police are still investigating the details of what happened, but they believe Koster was killed in New York then brought to Connecticut.

Connecticut State Police confirmed on Thursday that the body found was Rebecca Koster.

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