Tub death ruled a slay by strangle

A WOMAN found dying inside her bathtub in Queens nearly seven months ago is the victim of a homicide, police said Thursday.

Cops found Cindy Boyle, 45, naked and unconscious in the tub inside her apartment on 86th Drive near 209th St. in Jamaica Estates just after midnight on Sept. 13.

She was strangled, cops Thursday.

There were no obvious signs of trauma, and cops found prescription pills strewn around her bathroom, police sources said. Medics rushed her to Jamaica Hospital, but she could not be saved.

“At the time we weren’t sure what we had,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said Thursday.

But the city medical examiner’s office on Wednesday determined her death was a homicide. An autopsy revealed she had injuries to her neck that were consistent with “homicidal violence, including compression of neck,” a spokeswoman for the medical examiner said.

Detectives were piecing together Boyle’s activities in the hours before her death to determine who she came in contact with.

“We have some very strong leads, some people of interest,” Shea said.

Neighbors said Boyle had lived in the apartment for 20 years and suffered from a host of physical and mental health problems.

She was cared for by a home health aide, neighbor Lateesha Smith said. “She stayed in a lot,” said Smith. “She was quiet and kept to herself.” revealed