WILMONT -- A 56-year-old Wilmont woman was found dead Sunday morning, covered with snow, near the Wilmont Community Center.
The body of Deb Bell, who lived behind the community center, was found by a neighbor at approximately 8 a.m. A wound was discovered on the back of her head, and authorities think she may have hit her head on a fire hydrant after falling on the slippery sidewalk.
Authorities are awaiting medical reports to determine exactly what happened. They believe she had fallen the night before and struck her head, with cause of death being either exposure or a head wound.
"She must have been walking home, slipped, and fell," said Nobles County Sheriff Kent Wilkening, who expects a report with preliminary findings sometime this week. "No foul play is suspected."
An autopsy is scheduled for today, and the incident remains under investigation.
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Bell had worked as a bartender Saturday during the day shift at the Wilmont Municipal Liquor Store. She had stayed on after her shift and was last seen leaving the bar at approximately 1 a.m., according to witness statements.
