Suspect arrested in 2023 case of woman found dead in orchard near Marysville
MARYSVILLE – A suspect has been arrested nearly a year after a woman was found dead along the side of a road near Marysville.
The body of Amery Sweany, 27, was found along the 1700 block of Simpson Lane back on April 27, 2023.
Detectives with the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said a passerby noticed what appeared to be a body in an orchard right next to the road. An investigation soon identified the body as Sweany.
An autopsy later revealed that Sweany had died from blunt force trauma, with detectives believing she was struck by a car.
Wednesday night, detectives served an arrest warrant in Yuba City related to the investigation. As a result, 39-year-old Ricky Lasher was taken into custody for Sweany's murder.
Lasher was booked into Yuba County Jail. On Friday, the district attorney's office charged Lasher with murder. His arraignment was continued to Monay and he is being held in jail on a $1 million bail.
Detectives noted that the investigation is still ongoing.
