A murder investigation is underway after a newly promoted U.S. Navy chief petty officer was found dead in her home Monday from what authorities say are “not natural causes.”
Family and friends identified the victim to Jacksonville’s First Coast News as 37-year-old Andrea Washington, a mother of three who had recently been granted a protective order for alleged “domestic violence at her home.” A judge had signed off on the order just two weeks ago.
Andrea Washington was found dead the same day she was scheduled to appear in court regarding a protective order she’d filed against her boyfriend. (Image courtesy of Facebook)
On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a heavily redacted incident report about the woman’s death that left the public with more questions than answers.
According to the report, police were called to the victim’s Jacksonville home for a “medical emergency” just after midnight and found Washington’s body inside. A cause of death was not determined, but authorities said they suspected foul play. The four-page document also listed the victim’s sex, race and ethnicity as “UNKNOWN,” according to the station.
In the protective order filed Sept. 4, Washington wrote that she was shoved to the floor, kicked in the stomach and “had a gun pulled on her” by her boyfriend Danny Beard. She said the two were arguing over household expenses. Beard also reportedly also kicked a hole through her bedroom door, destroyed her iPad and took the keys to her car, court documents stated.
Washington was scheduled to appear in court Monday regarding the protective order, however her case was dismissed for “failure to appear.” Beard was present for the hearing.
Family friend Phantom McClendon told First Coast News that Washington had just been “pinned” Friday as a Navy chief petty officer and that they’d planned to celebrate.
“The goal of making chief is a major accomplishment, and for her to make it after all these years … and the simple fact that she can’t even enjoy it,” McClendon said. “She couldn’t even go to work in her freshly pressed khaki uniform. I just sent her a message on Friday right when she got pinned and told her ‘I’m proud of you.’ ”
So far, police haven’t named Beard as a suspect in Washington’s killing nor has he been arrested. Court documents show he was charged with aggravated battery in 2001, but judgement was withheld in the case.
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