By By Arthur McLean Editor
The Atmore Police Department is treating its investigation of the death of Eugenia Wilson as a possible homicide, but it hasn't yet ruled out the possibility that her death could have been an accident.
Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean said the department is carefully weighing all the evidence in the case and is working closely with the state crime lab.
Dean said the department has cleared up some possible scenarios and is waiting for further results from the state crime lab as local investigators continue their efforts.
Wilson was found dead in her home on Oak Street the evening of Feb. 27.
She was expected to arrive at her daughter's home in Pensacola for a visit by 3 p.m. that day. When she failed to arrive, her daughter, Linda Crews, called family friends here in Atmore to check on Wilson.
A family friend called on Wilson about 6 p.m. that evening, finding the door open and discovered Wilson dead in her kitchen and called 911.
Police arrived on the scene minutes later and began the investigation.
Eugenia Wilson was 79 and an active member of several community groups, including the Atmore Garden Club and First United Methodist Church.
News of the death stunned this quiet portion of Atmore, where most of the residents are older. Fear swept through the community and rumors stormed around the city.
Dean said rumors that his officers went through the neighborhood telling people to lock their doors and windows are untrue. "I think people should do that anyway, just as a common sense precaution," Dean said. "But we're a small department, and we've been extremely busy, I haven't sent my men out telling people to lock or barricade their doors."
Other rumors surrounding the case are also unfounded, Dean said.
A funeral was held for Wilson March 3. She was born in Bainbridge, Ga. but had lived in Atmore since 1946.
She is survived by her son, David Lee and Mary Lynne Wilson of Boaz; two daughters, Linda Jean and Edward E. Crews of Pensacola and Susan Wilson and G. Barker Stein, Jr. of Fairhope; four grandchildren, Burton Ritchie, Mandy and Jeffrey Gillespie, Justin Hanks, Mary Page Wilson; two great-grandchildren, Brice and Jonathan Gillespie.