A 29-year-old Garysburg woman was found shot to death Sunday afternoon at an abandoned house off Macon Price Road.

Detective Sergeant Lynette Clements of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office said Crystal Bell was found on the back deck of the house on Macon Price Road in the Garysburg area as firefighters were responding to a vehicle fire there.

They found her vehicle was on fire although the call was originally received as a house fire. The vehicle was engulfed in flames when firefighters from Gaston and Garysburg arrived.

Deputy J.T. Turner noticed Bell’s body on the back deck and called detectives. The SBI was also summoned to process the crime scene.

Clements said it was determined Bell was shot. She declined to say how many times.

Clements said it is believed the fire was intentionally set.

While the car was seen at the house the night before and tags jotted down, it is not believed the murder occurred overnight.

Clements said one person who drove past the house around 11 a.m. Sunday said there were no flames and the person didn’t notice the vehicle. It wasn’t until about an hour and a half later the fire was reported.

The sheriff’s office does have leads, Clements said, and anyone with information is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 252-534-2611.