Woman Found Stabbed to Death in Encanto Canyon Identified

A body found in an Encanto canyon under suspicious circumstances over the weekend was identified Monday as a 29-year-old woman.

Lavaughn Rawshanda Nicole Williams of San Diego was located in a ravine about 10 to 12 feet down the pathway. Police at nearby Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park were called to the scene by some concerned citizens Saturday.

The grisly discovery prompted a homicide investigation.

William's body was spotted at about 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 13 by a father and daughter walking their dog along a canyon near South 66th Street just off Skyline Drive, the San Diego Police Department said. The area is surrounded by residential neighborhoods.

Officers weren't able to get too close without damaging the crime scene, due to the precarious position of William's body on a slope, police said. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office was called to move the body, and SDPD Homicide Detectives began their investigation.

The woman appeared to have injuries to the upper torso and a significant amount of blood covered the body, police said. She may have been there for a few days before being discovered.

As the investigation continued, it became clear the victim was stabbed to death, according to the SDPD.