Woman Charged After 70-Year-Old Found Dead in Pool

A 911 Call Brought Police to the Pool

A 70-year-old Alabama woman was found unresponsive in the community pool at the apartment complex where she lived, and police say evidence of a physical struggle turned the death into a homicide investigation. An acquaintance who was located nearby is now charged with murder.

Hoover police responded shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 to the 2200 block of Little Valley Road. Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but Terry Lynn Walker-Zuniga was pronounced dead.

Detectives Found Signs of a Struggle

Investigators said evidence showed that a physical struggle had occurred shortly before Walker-Zuniga’s death. Police located 30-year-old Anastasia Tsefia Sudarsana nearby and identified her as an acquaintance of the victim.

The case was then presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, and a murder warrant was issued for Sudarsana. She was arrested and is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail.

The Official Cause of Death Has Not Been Released

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim but said the official cause and manner of death remained pending. People reported that the coroner’s office confirmed the death was being investigated as a homicide at the request of Hoover police.

That distinction matters because the existence of a murder charge does not mean every medical or factual question has already been answered publicly. Investigators have not released a full account of what happened at the pool.

The Victim Lived at the Complex

Authorities said Walker-Zuniga was a resident of the apartment complex and that the pool was used by tenants. That ordinary residential setting became the center of the case after the 911 call.

Police have not publicly described how Walker-Zuniga and Sudarsana knew each other beyond saying they were acquaintances. They also have not announced a motive or detailed what they believe led to the struggle.

The Suspect Was Found Near the Apartment Complex

Detectives responding to the pool did not have to search far for the person they later identified as a suspect. Police said Sudarsana was located nearby after officers arrived and that investigators determined she knew Walker-Zuniga. The reporting does not say what Sudarsana told officers or whether she has entered a plea.

Her proximity to the scene is one part of the police account, but authorities have not released the full evidence linking her to the death. The murder warrant means prosecutors believe there is probable cause to proceed; it does not represent a finding of guilt.

The Coroner Is Still Completing the Medical Findings

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirmed Walker-Zuniga’s identity and said she sustained injuries during a reported assault. Officials have not yet released the final cause and manner of death. That medical determination is separate from the police decision to investigate the case as a homicide.

The pending findings could provide important information about how Walker-Zuniga died without requiring speculation now. Until the coroner releases that conclusion, the most accurate description remains that she was found unresponsive in the pool after police say a struggle occurred and that her death is being investigated as a homicide.

A Familiar Shared Space Became a Crime Scene

Walker-Zuniga lived at the complex, and the pool was a shared amenity for residents. The 911 call therefore did not send officers to an isolated location or unfamiliar property; it brought them to a place tenants would normally associate with routine recreation.

That setting is one reason the case is immediately understandable without graphic detail. A resident was found dead in a pool used by people living around her, detectives found evidence of a recent struggle, and an acquaintance was arrested nearby. The court case will determine whether prosecutors can connect those facts to Sudarsana beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Charge Starts the Court Process

Sudarsana now faces a murder allegation while detectives continue gathering evidence. She has not been convicted, and prosecutors will have to prove the charge in court.

The unanswered pieces include the precise sequence before the 911 call and the medical findings that will establish the official cause and manner of death. Those details may become clearer through the continuing investigation and court filings.

For residents of the complex, the case began in one of the most familiar shared spaces on the property. A tenant was found in the community pool, police found evidence that she had struggled with someone shortly before her death, and another resident’s acquaintance was taken into custody before the night was over.

References: People - Woman Found Unresponsive in Apartment Pool | WVTM 13 - Hoover Pool Death Investigated as Homicide

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