Lexington Woman Found Murdered In SUV Near High School

LEXINGTON (CBS) – A Lexington woman was found beaten to death in her SUV less than a mile from her home. Police said no one else is at risk.

The husband of Shen Cai drove back home Friday night in the same Honda where she was found murdered. He said he did not know much about his wife’s murder. “I don’t even know the details what happened,” said the man who identified himself as Cai’s husband.

Fingerprint dust and crime scene stickers were still on the door of the Honda CRV. He wore hospital clothes and had bruises and cuts on his hands and arms, though he did not say how he was hurt. “I can’t tell anything. I don’t want to any more damage to anybody, OK,” said Cai’s husband.

Cai’s friends found her body shortly after midnight Thursday. She was in the driver’s seat of the family’s SUV, which was parked on the side of the road near the high school and fields. The District Attorney says the cause of death is blunt force trauma.

“Ms. Cai had previously reported to them, her friends that she had concerns about her safety,” said Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

Police said her husband and friends last saw her Tuesday. When she missed appointments the next day her friends became worried and started searching.

When asked why Cai would be concerned for her safety. Her husband replied, “I don’t know.”

Cai, who was 49 years old, and her husband moved-in a couple of years ago. Neighbors say she is from China and worked from home for a Chinese healthcare company. She has a college-aged daughter and he has a son in his early teens.

“We never really met the husband and we never saw the kids around, very private,” said next-door neighbor Ken Kaitin.

“Just hi and hello when they just are kind of raking the leaves, just really the lady only,” said Vithi Thumma, another neighbor.

Cai’s husband described his late-wife this way: “She is a great lady, that’s it. I am not going to comment on anything at all.

Police said there are no prior reports of violence at the house, and no one previously reported Cai’s safety concern.

Even though they say the public is not at risk, the district attorney would not elaborate on any potential suspects.