COOKEVILLE -- A woman was found dead, apparently the victim of "blunt force trauma" in her home on Sunday, police said.
Detectives have questioned two others who live at her home, including her boyfriend, police said.
The body of Sandra Tinsley, 46, of Lee Seminary Road, was found about 8 a.m. Sunday by one of the three occupants of the house, Billie Rush. Rush lives there with Tinsley and her boyfriend, Timothy Cloyd, 53, according to police.
During the investigation after the body was found, Cloyd was taken to jail, but it was not in connection with the death. Instead, he was jailed on a charge of probation violation.
"This is all still under investigation today, and an autopsy is being performed this morning, so we don't know the answer to a lot of questions yet," said Cookeville Police Major Nathan Honeycutt.
He said the couple -- Tinsley and Cloyd -- has a history of domestic violence and said police officers here "are familiar with them."
The case began around midnight Saturday when an anonymous complaint reached police from someone requesting what police call "a welfare check" on the residents of 2795 Lee Seminary Road, Major Honeycutt said.
Officers went to the residence and found Timothy Cloyd and Billie Rush there, and "both appeared to have been drinking alcoholic beverages," Honeycutt said.
When officers checked for any outstanding warrants, they found that Cloyd was wanted for probation violation, and he was taken into custody.
The officers also inquired as to the whereabouts of Sandra Tinsley at that time, and both men "indicated that she may have left the residence earlier in the evening," Honeycutt said.
Officers found no sign of Tinsley in the residence at that time.
Then about 8 a.m. Sunday, Billie Rush called police and said he had awakened and "at some point had discovered the body of Sandra Tinsley in a back room in the house," Honeycutt said.
"Our officers were sent to the residence again, and her body was in fact located. It appeared to them to have been partially concealed in that back room."
Honeycutt declined to give further details about the victim's appearance or condition, but did say that detectives "believe blunt force trauma was a factor in her death."
He also said officers had observed what they believed to be "a small amount of blood" on Cloyd's shoes as he was being taken into custody on Saturday night.
But Major Honeycutt stressed that no charges have been filed and that detectives are expecting to gather more facts and conduct more interviews today.
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