Ann Arbor community mourning loss of beloved neighbor Jude Walton
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Ann Arbor community continues to mourn the loss of their beloved neighbor Jude Walton.
She was found dead in her home Thursday after a welfare check.
Police continue to work as many leads as they can to find the person responsible for the death of Walton.
"She's always been so caring so generous, said Nina Jackson Levin, a long time neighbor of Walton.
Flowers and a heartfelt note were placed in front of Walton's home on Friday. The community is still in shock over her death.
"She's the last person this should have happened to," Levin said.
Levin has lived next door to Walton for nearly 10 years. She said they became close and she considered her family.
"When I moved in, I was much younger. She always looked out for me. She kept an eye on me," she said.
Walton has also been described as a leader in the community.
She was a former police oversight commissioner and was currently working for Avalon housing, a nonprofit helping the homeless.
"This is terrible to happen to anybody but for this to happen to somebody who is so magnanimous and kind it just doesn't make sense," Levin said.
Walton was found dead in her home in the 200 block of Chapin Street Thursday after a welfare check.
Ann Arbor police said the suspect broke a window in the back of the home to get inside. Investigators are working leads but no arrests have been made.
"I think we're all very eager to have some answers. We need to know what happened. Both for Jude's sake and then for the sake of this community," Levin said. "We don't know anything from the police of who did this or what the motive was but we do know that the area is unsafe."
Walton's death marked the first homicide in the city of Ann Arbor this year.
Levin said it's a concern that has her considering leaving her home.
"it is really scare and quite honestly and we are probably going to move. We lived here for nine years and I don't want to move, but we can't continue to live like this," she said.
An autopsy was scheduled for Walton on Friday to get an official cause of death. It's unclear when those details will be released.