A woman was found fatally stabbed in a parking area near trails in the Great Falls area this morning (Monday), Fairfax County police say.
Officers responded at around 7 a.m. to the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike after a community member in the area for a morning run reported seeing a woman “lying unconscious outside her vehicle,” according to Fairfax County Police Department Capt. Jason Chandler, commander of the public affairs bureau.
“When officers arrived, they noticed she had trauma to her upper body,” Chandler said. “She was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The FCPD initially publicized the incident as a death investigation, but by 10:30 a.m., detectives determined that the woman’s death was a homicide, Chandler confirmed in a media briefing.
Georgetown Pike was closed in both directions at Old Dominion Drive for the investigation.
Though police didn’t provide an exact address for where the woman was found, Chandler described the scene as “a parking area leading to several trails” used by community members for walking and hiking. Nearby paths include the Difficult Run Stream Valley Trail, which leads into Great Falls Park.
Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances of the stabbing, including why the woman was at the parking area and whether she had arrived with anyone else or come to the park alone.
“There’s no immediate indication that this was a random act,” Chandler said. “We’re just asking the community, if they saw anything around 7 o’clock, to please reach out to us.
Detectives are canvassing the surrounding area to locate surveillance cameras, and Chandler urged anyone with information that could potentially help with the investigation to contact the FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau at 1-866-411-TIPS.
Officers are on scene of a death investigation in the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike in Great Falls. The victim, an adult female, was found with trauma to upper body and pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives are en route. Call 911 with any information. pic.twitter.com/EaVa5RG0B4
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) August 17, 2026
Update #McLean: Georgetown Pike/Rte. 193 at Old Dominion Dr.: Closed in both directions. #VaTraffic https://t.co/3vpgovJ0tb
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) August 17, 2026
