Reston woman's death ruled a homicide

A Reston woman who was found shot dead in an apartment near Reston Parkway in October has been declared a homicide victim, Fairfax County police said Tuesday.

Police said charges are pending.

Karen Deck, 42, was discovered inside an apartment on Winterthur Lane, in the Hunters Woods area of Reston, on Oct. 24 after the parents of the apartment's resident called police.

According to a search warrant affidavit written by Detective Brian S. Colligan, the man who lived in the apartment had called his parents to say "he had accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend."

When police went to the apartment, they found Deck, the man and a weapon lying on the floor. The man has not been charged. Police did not indicate who they expected to charge, but said they do not believe there is a public safety issue.

Officer Bud Walker, a Fairfax police spokesman, said the Virginia medical examiner's office made the homicide ruling sometime recently. Deck lived on Inlet Court in the Lake Anne area. Her death was the 13th homicide in Fairfax in 2009.

-- Tom Jackman