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The Bartlesville Police Department responded to the area of 5th Street and Morton in reference to a deceased subject located in a shed at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Captain Jay Hastings said officers checked the inside of the storage shed upon arrival which was located on a vacant lot. He said they found a deceased female inside which appeared to be homeless based on items found within the shed.

Cpt. Hastings said this case is a reminder that we need to do what we can to take care of others, especially when the weather is at the extremes. He said the BPD would ask citizens to call them if they have concerns about someone being out and exposed to the elements. He said they'll do their best to find the person, talk to them and see if they can find shelter for them for the night.

Cpt. Hastings said exposure to cold weather may have been the cause of death, but they're still waiting on a final response from the State Medical Examiner's Office.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the individual but the name will not be released until relatives can be located if possible. Cpt. Hastings said the cause of death is not known at this time however there was no evidence indicating foul play. He said the case is still open and their agency is awaiting an official report from the Medical Examiner.

Cpt. Hastings said they believe the woman had been in the shed for a couple of weeks before being found by a passer-by. He said it may take a couple of weeks to identify the individual's family because they believe she may have traveled outside the area, and maybe even outside of the State.

The Bartlesville Police Department has been working with homeless shelters in town to get all the information about the deceased individual. Cpt. Hastings said they have to do some back tracking to see if they can locate relatives. He said it could take a week before they can identify relatives and release the woman's name.