Orlando Sentinel

A photo is released of a young woman entering a downtown Orlando apartment the night of her death.

- By Tiffany Walden Staff Writer twalden@tribpub.com

Sasha Samsudean appeared happy in the hours before she was killed.

Wearing white, skinny jeans and a blue, dressy blouse, the smiling 27-year-old Orlando woman was captured on surveillan­ce video walking back into her Uptown Place Apartments complex about 1:45 a.m. Saturday after a night out with friends.

But then something went wrong.

Though it remained unclear what happened after the image was taken, the scene inside of her third-floor apartment led investigat­ors to declare her death a homicide.

On Tuesday, Orlando police released the surveillan­ce photo of Samsudean at the apartment complex at 911 N. Orange Ave. in a Crimeline bulletin seeking informatio­n from the public.

Police found Samsudean dead inside her apartment about 8 p.m. Saturday after her friends reported her missing when they hadn’t heard from her all day.

“Detectives are looking for anyone who saw Sasha Samsudean after 1:45 a.m. on Saturday morning,” the Tuesday announceme­nt said. Investigat­ors said there was no sign of forced entry.

Officials on Tuesday said they weren’t releasing the 911 calls or any preliminar­y autopsy informatio­n at this time.

So how Samsudean died remains a mystery. Also Tuesday, Samsudean’s family requested privacy as it mourns her death, family friend Ruby Roy said.

The family will have a private visitation for Samsudean today in Orlando. Immediatel­y following the visitation, a private funeral service — a ceremony blending Hindu, Islamic and Christian religious practices — will begin.

Samsudean was born in New York, her obituary said. She is survived by her parents and brother. Samsudean worked for Pearson, an education company that provides services to teachers and students.

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