Woman found dead in basement with head wound after fire

Police have opened a homicide investigation after a woman was found dead with a head wound in the basement of a burning north Philadelphia home.

Fire crews and officers were called to the Nicetown residence just after 7 p.m. Friday and found a house full of smoke with fire on the first floor.

Firefighters found an unresponsive woman in the basement who was pronounced dead about 40 minutes after the fire was reported.

Police said the woman, who was in her 50s, had “a large head wound and blood on the wall behind her.”

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The scene was held as a homicide. The victim hasn’t yet been identified.

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