Woman's body found in lawn chair

CRESTVIEW, Fla. (WALA) - Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputies and Alabama authorities are investigating how a woman ended up deceased in a lawn chair in the driveway of a Crestview home.

Crestview High School senior Brittany Brooks had just sat down for dinner Sunday night, when she spotted her neighbors lining the streets, watching curiously as authorities worked.

"It's just weird to think something this crazy could happen just down the street, two houses down," Brooks said.

Investigators said the body of 28-year-old Jacquiline Roughton was resting on a lawn chair in the driveway of a Sikes Drive residence.

Authorities said were no visible signs of trauma on the Florala native's body.  Okaloosa County and Alabama authorities now work in conjunction to get to the bottom of this.

Brooks wasn't the only resident shocked to see the scene.

"I can't believe it happened, just because this is such a quiet neighborhood; we've never had trouble like this before," said Jeanette Douglass, who lives nearby.  "I've seen an ambulance a few times; I've seen fire engines go up and down the street, and stop at a house down the road just around the bend, but never something this close."

Florala Police Chief Sonny Bedsole said his officers believe Roughton died before being left on the lawn. They said rigor mortis had already set in when authorities discovered the body.

"It scares me that it can happen to just anybody, and it's really sad to think that it had to happen to someone like that, so young," Brooks said.

Chief Bedsole said he has a person of interest in the case, who said he left Roughton at the residence alive Sunday night.

According to the Medical Examiner's Office, Roughton's autopsy was concluded Tuesday, but the findings have not been released.