Tacoma police investigate death of Washington teen doused in accelerant and set on fire

Firefighters responding to a brush fire earlier this month found the body of a Washington teenager who investigators say was doused in accelerant and set ablaze. Now, police are searching for answers.

The fire was reported around 1 a.m. Sept. 3 near McKinley Park in Tacoma. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters found the woman, identified as 18-year-old Chloee Moore, dead among the ruins of the fire, according to the Tacoma Police Department.

After days of investigating the suspicious death, Tacoma police detectives said last week that Moore's body was covered in a flammable liquid and that she was intentionally set on fire, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

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Who was Chloee Moore?

Moore was an aspiring dental hygienist who had just turned 18 in June, according to a GoFundMe page created by her older sister to help with funeral costs.

"My little sister was a beautiful person, with a heart of gold," the GoFundMe page reads. "We are all devastated by this loss ... Unfortunately due to the cruel hands of a sickened individual, my family couldn't even say goodbye one last time."

In a Facebook post, a woman identifying herself as Moore's mother wrote that she had begged her daughter to stay home on Sept. 1.

"But I wasn't able to convince her," Nicole Hanson wrote. "She assured me that she'd be home in the morning and so I let it rest. That was the last time I laid eyes on my baby girl. I had a terrible feeling and reported her missing."

She said she got the news of her daughter's death on Sept. 6.

"Someone set my daughter on fire!" she wrote. "I am devastated by this senseless and brutal act of violence. I have lost my precious child, my best friend, and my reason for living. I am struggling to cope with this unbearable loss, and I don’t know how to move on without her."

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How did Chloee Moore die?

It's unclear if Moore was dead before being set on fire.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a media release last week that a cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

The Tacoma Police Department said there was no new information to release on Monday morning. The medical examiner's office did not immediately return a message from USA TODAY seeking comment.

Tacoma police said anyone with information about the Moore's death can call the South Sound 911 call center, which has non-emergency lines at 253-287-4455 or 800-562-9800. Those with information can also call the Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222 TIPS.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected].