Crime Va. Woman with 'Smile that [Lit] up the Room' Is Found Dead — as Police Investigate Who Killed Her Cassandra Pizzi is survived by a 12-year-old son By Chris Harris Chris Harris Twitter Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. An award-winning journalist who has worked for Rolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 31, 2020 02:16 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Cassandra Pizzi. Photo: Facebook Police in Virginia are searching for the person or persons responsible for the murder of a 33-year-old woman whose body was found in a wooded area of Roanoke. Cassandra Pizzi has been identified by Roanoke Police as the woman whose remains were discovered Friday morning. While they’ve yet to disclose how she died, investigators are confident foul play factored into her death, and are handling the case as a “homicide.” According to WDBJ, Pizzi was the mother of a 12-year-old boy. Detectives are investigating the killing and working to determine who perpetrated it. They’ve released very little information about the crime thus far. Ryan Reilly, Pizzi’s cousin, told WDBJ he was devastated when he heard the horrific news, which he learned via social media. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. “She has a smile that lights up any room she walks into,” Reilly said. “It’s been hard.” Roanoke authorities ask that anyone with any information about Pizzi’s murder call them at (540) 344-8500. Tips can also be texted to 274637; all texts should begin with “RoanokePD.” Tipsters can remains anonymous.