Corinth police are investigating the town's first murder in 17 years. Police identified the victim on Monday as 21-year-old Amanda Clairmont, a senior at the University of North Texas.

Clairmont was found fatally shot early Sunday inside a car that was parked in a vacant lot along an Interstate 35E service road.

"It was parked up against the fence, lights on, passenger door was opened," explained police Lt. Jim Gregg. "This is our first homicide investigation in 17 years."

Clairmont's father said she was a religious studies major at UNT.

The university released a statement Monday night.

"Our deepest, heartfelt sympathies go out to the family and friends of UNT student Amanda Clairmont," the statement read. "Our hearts are heavy with the news of the tragic loss of life."

"For someone to be killed in a parking lot so horrifically is sad," said Shelley McCann, a criminal justice student who noticed the crime scene near her house. "You knew something pretty bad happened."

Police can't, or won't, say what might have been the motive for the killing. Corinth police investigators are working with Denton County Sheriff's and the Texas Rangers to find the suspect or suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call Corinth police at 940-498-2017.