Jan. 9, 2016: Italian police officers stand outside an apartment where 35-year-old American woman Ashley Oslen was found dead, in Florence, Italy (AP)
The body of an American woman was found in an Italian apartment with bruises and scratches around her neck on Saturday, police said.
Ashley Olsen, 35, a Florida native, was identified as the victim and had been living in the Florence apartment for quite some time, according to police spokeswoman Maddalena Carosi. Florence prosecutors have opened a murder investigation.
Police confirmed that Olsen was found with scratch marks on her neck, but wouldn’t confirm that she had been strangled to death until an autopsy could be performed.
Olsen’s boyfriend, also described as an artist living in Florence, told police they had an argument and that he hadn’t heard from her, according to Le Repubblica. He apparently became worried when he didn’t hear from her after a while and asked the apartment owner to open Olsen’s door. Police declined to comment on that report.
Local TV reports said the body was found on the bed in the apartment, which is located in Florence’s historic center. TV and local newspaper accounts said the body was identified by Olsen’s father, who reportedly teaches at a Florence school nearby.
Olsen was apparently an art lover and had organized events connected to the art world, according to the Le Repubblica.
Police have not named any suspects in the woman’s murder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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