A woman whose body was found in a steel drum in a Denver parking lot had cocaine in her system, according to an autopsy report released today.
The body of Esperanza Soledad Pardue was found Oct. 28 by a homeless shelter employee on the 2200 block of Arapahoe Street, according to the report.
The office of the Denver medical examiner found nine “irregular lacerations” on the back of Pardue’s head, and her skull had been fractured.
The autopsy reports that the words “I use this” were written on her left lower back with a black marker. The words “blood” and “dragon” were written on her left knee and her left calf.
Ahmad Clewis-Green, 19, has been arrested as a suspect in Pardue’s death.
Green was arrested Oct. 28 and allegedly confessed to police after he was taken into custody. Green told investigators he met Pardue on Oct. 14 in a park and she agreed to have sex with him for money. Afterward, Green refused to pay Pardue, and she became angry and refused to leave his apartment. Green allegedly hit Pardue in the head with a metal pipe after she refused to leave.
Green allegedly hid the body in a 55-gallon barrel, which had a lid on it, for two weeks before it was discovered.
Pardue had an arrest record in Colorado that included prostitution, several drug-related offenses, child abuse, fraud and forgery. She also had been cited for contempt of court and numerous failures to appear in court.
A preliminary hearing in Green’s homicide case has been scheduled for Dec. 16.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
