Death of woman, 27, called ‘suspicious’ after body found in Orlando apartment.
The suspicious death of a 27-year-old woman in her Orlando apartment over the weekend left her family, friends and colleagues looking for answers.
Orlando police officials on Monday identified the deceased woman — Sasha Samsudean — two days after they discovered her body in her Uptown Place Apartments unit off North Orange Avenue.
Investigators and the Orange County Medical Examiner were seen outside the apartment complex, at 911 N. Orange Ave., on Sunday morning.
As of Monday afternoon, police hadn’t shared any details about Samsudean’s death. An autopsy is pending.
Samsudean returned to her apartment late Friday after going out with her friends, according to police. When friends couldn’t reach her Saturday, they called police and reported her missing.
“Officers made entry into her apartment at 8 p.m. Saturday and discovered her inside,” a police statement said. “There was no sign of forced entry into her apartment.”
As news of Samsudean’s death spread Monday, those who knew her took to social media to express their disbelief and grief.
Samsudean worked for education company Pearson, which provides services to teachers and students.
“Pearson would like to express our sincerest sympathy to the family and friends of Ms. Samsudean,” spokeswoman Laura Howe said Monday. “She had been working for Pearson since January and will be deeply missed by her colleagues.”
The Apartment Association of Greater Orlando posted on Facebook a picture of Samsudean receiving a Golden Key AAGO award, which recognizes achievements in the apartment industry. She won Account Executive of the Year at the 2012 ceremony.
The association issued a joint statement with Samsudean’s former employer, the iLS Network, a company matching renters to apartments using online apartment guides.
“At AAGO, Sasha’s work ethic, intelligence, energy and creativity made her one of our most valuable association volunteer leaders,” association CEO Chip Tatum said. “Her positive impact on our programs and events will be present for years to come, and we will miss her greatly.”
Samsudean grew up in the Orlando area, according to friends.
She graduated in 2006 from Seminole High School in Sanford, where she was a member of the Dazzlers dance team, before going to the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“People went to our high school just to be on the dance team,” said Mallory Gladman, a friend and fellow Dazzlers dance team member who now lives in New York.
“Everybody just really wants to hear more information because [Samsudean] was a kind and beautiful person that was just taken away so suddenly. There has to be something that we don’t know.”