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Raleigh Woman's Body Found in Her Home; Police...

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Mitchell's house
RALEIGH — The body of a woman missing more than a weekwas found Tuesday in her North Raleigh home, and police have ruled herdeath a homicide. Her 18-year-old son is now holed up in another house avoiding police.

Police told WRAL-TV'sMarkRobertsthat they don't know if the son is alone, but they do believehe is armed. The man, Jonathan Thompson, has been charged with firstdegree murder in connection with his mother's death.

At 6 p.m., police said they had been in touch with Thompson and that heseemed to be very agitated. Police are positioned outside the house inwhich he is hiding, on Brentwood Road.

The body of Cassandra LeeMitchell, 44, was found after officialsobtained a search warrant for her home in the Lake Park subdivision inNorth Raleigh, near Shelley Lake.

Mitchell was a graduate student in education at N.C.State University. She was last seen alive March 4. She was reportedmissing Saturday, March 8, by herbrother-in-law. Her husband, James Mitchell, lives and works inCalifornia, according to police.

While one neighbor told Roberts that Thompson had broken into her house, other neighbors, including Jim Meyer, saidthere was no outward evidence of trouble in the family.

According to the search warrant, Mrs. Mitchell had asked that her sonbe charged with credit card fraud.

Her car had been found undamaged Saturday at North Hills Mall.

It's unclear why her body was not discovered in her home until Tuesdayeven thoughshe was reported missing Saturday.

Police declined to say where the body was found or how Mitchell died.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 890-3555or CrimeStoppers at 834-4357.

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