The body of a young mother, Ebony Jackson, was found in the trunk of her car in Missouri on Tuesday morning. Her infant son was found unharmed five days prior, left in his carseat in the hallway of an apartment building.

Police are scouring the area for clues, but because there were some 15 miles between where Jackson’s car was found and where the baby was found, there is a wide area to be searched. Jackson is said to have traveled to Missouri to visit relatives after telling her boyfriend in Oklahoma she needed some space. She was found with a fatal gunshot just behind one ear.

The tragic story has hit Jackson’s family hard, especially since the state now has her son until Jackson’s boyfriend can prove he’s the father. The family says they think foul play is involved due to where her car was found and the fact that it was originally suspected that she’d abandoned her son.

“It’s just totally out of character for her to be in a neighborhood like this, or just the car being in a neighborhood like this,” a family spokesperson said.

As of now, police are not considering her boyfriend to be a suspect, but they are exploring every possibility and say he had a turbulent relationship with Jackson.

Image source: the victim’s family