Police identify victim in Mendota Heights homicide

Police presence on South Plaza Drive in Mendota Heights
Police presence at the corner of Dodd Road and South Plaza Drive in Mendota Heights on July 29, 2017.
Peter Cox | MPR News

Mendota Heights police have identified the woman who was found dead inside an office building Saturday afternoon. Police say she's Beverly Cory, 48.

Mendota Heights police, along with the Dakota County sheriff's office and the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension continue to investigate her death. Authorities discovered her body Saturday afternoon following an intense search for a robbery suspect.

Police continue to search for Lucifer Vincent Nguyen, 44. He has not been charged.

Lucifer Vincent Nguyen
Lucifer Vincent Nguyen
Mendota Heights police

Mendota Heights police say there is no known previous connection between the suspect and Cory.

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On its Facebook page, the department posted, "On a personal note, we didn't know the victim but we did speak with her family and friends. If she was half as amazing, caring, and resilient as they are, the world lost an amazing soul."

The incident began Saturday morning when authorities were called about a robbery in Mendota Heights. The suspect had a handgun and drove away, but turned around when he saw police and ran his car into a swamp behind White Pine Senior Living.

Police evacuated the senior building as they searched for the armed suspect.

Correction (July 31, 2017): Beverly Cory's age was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.