Homicide investigators say woman found dead near American River bike trail was stabbed

The discovery of a woman’s body near the American River Parkway on Monday, the second in less than 12 hours, is being investigated as a homicide, Sacramento Police said Tuesday.

According to a news release, officers responded to the bike trail near Del Paso and Northgate boulevards around 2:10 a.m. after receiving after information that a passerby found a body. Police say they discovered stab wounds upon examination of the body of the adult woman, whose name was not released.

Police said they conducted a canvass of the area and the investigation is ongoing. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has yet to release the identity of the victim.

The location of the body was close to where police said they discovered the body of Alex Holden, the 25-year-old Sacramento resident who had been missing since New Year’s Eve.

Police and family members had been searching for Holden since Dec. 31, when he was believed to be walking from downtown to the Natomas area.

Police said on Monday that didn’t believe the two cases were related.

“There’s no indication to believe that this was related to the body that was found yesterday (Sunday),” Sacramento Police spokesman Officer Karl Chan told The Sacramento Bee. “We don’t have any evidence suggesting that.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the dispatch center at 916-264-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Tips can also be submitted confidentially through the P3 Tips website and app. There is a reward of up to $1,000.