MARYSVILLE, Calif. — The woman who was found near the side of the road in Marysville has been identified by officials.
The Yuba County Sheriff's Office identified her as 27-year-old Amery Sweany, of Chico. Officials say she was new to the Yuba-Sutter area.
An autopsy found her cause of death was blunt force trauma and officials believe she was hit by a car.
Some social media posts have suggested Sweany was bound and gagged, but officials say this is "absolutely false."
“She had severe trauma to her face that caused swelling and other injuries, but nothing was inside of her mouth. Being struck by a vehicle can often cause clothing to rip and/or tear," said Katy Goodson, spokesperson for the Yuba County Sheriff's Office. "Hopefully viewers will remember that just because something is posted on social media, doesn’t make it a fact in the investigation. We are trying to provide as much information as possible without compromising our investigation. At this point, it’s imperative that the message gets out for people to come forward if they have information about the incident."
An investigation is still underway and anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Sgt. Parker at (530) 749-7777 or call the anonymous tip line at (530) 749-7930.
Sweany was convicted of vehicular manslaughter in 2020 after she ran a red light while speeding and killed 64-year-old Virgil Santos in 2019. She was sentenced to the maximum term of six years and eight months in state prison.
