Emily Courchesne, 37, was found shot to death on October 4, 2017, in a home on the 24000 block of Marsh Creek Road in Byron, California. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a medical call about 10:05 a.m.; an autopsy confirmed a gunshot wound and her death was ruled a homicide. She had been house‑sitting for relatives and investigators believe she was killed sometime between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.

No immediate suspects or motives were identified and, despite a thorough investigation and public appeals, no arrests were made. Courchesne’s family described her as an intelligent, persevering draftsman with a passion for astronomy and physics. Her killing was one of two homicides in the Byron area that summer; authorities investigated but did not find a link between this case and the August death of Aleli Avila.

Anyone with information that could help solve Emily Courchesne’s murder is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office.