The death of a woman whose remains were found inside a suitcase that washed up along the Passaic River in northern New Jersey this week is now being investigated as a homicide.

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Essex County prosecutors said Tuesday that a preliminary autopsy determined the woman died from blunt force injuries.

But they're still trying to identify the victim, who was clad in gray slacks and a red blouse. And it's not yet clear how long she was in the suitcase and in the water before her remains were found late Monday morning near the Jackson Street Bridge in Newark.

The Newark police department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office are asking for the public's help in their investigation.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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