Local authorities confirmed Monday morning they are investigating the death of a 38-year-old woman in a trailer in Rainbow Terrace as a homicide, or wrongful death.

Albert Lea Police Chief Dwaine Winkels said the woman, Jody Lee Morrow, 38, “appeared to be bludgeoned to death” when police officers found her Sunday. Information about the exact cause of death or potential weapon used has yet not been released.

Police arrested Morrow’s estranged boyfriend, Chad Jamie Gulbertson, 37, of Albert Lea, as a suspect. Four other residences Gulbertson might have been living in recently have also been searched for potential evidence.

In a news conference Monday morning, Winkels said Gulbertson and a family member came into the Law Enforcement Center at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, reporting that Gulbertson thought he killed his girlfriend at a trailer at 730 Larimore Circle.

Officers responded to the trailer and found Morrow.

From that point on, the trailer was sealed, and local and state officials have been investigating at the scene, Winkels said. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to assist.

Winkels said officials do not think a firearm was used in the murder.

The case appears to be a situation of domestic violence, which is the No. 1 crime of occurrence in Freeborn County, he said.

In the past, Albert Lea has averaged a homicide every seven years, but during the past 10 years, they have been more frequent, one in 2001 and another in 2005, he noted.

Winkels said an active restraining order was in place for Morrow against Gulbertson, and police had been called down to the trailer in the past.

Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson said Morrow and Gulbertson had lived together for 3 1/2 years, from October of 2005 to April 15, 2009.

Morrow, who was confined to a wheelchair because of medical-related problems, obtained an emergency order for protection against Gulbertson in the middle of May. An official order for protection was obtained on June 1 that would have been valid for a year afterward, Nelson said. Gulbertson was to have no contact with Morrow.

Winkels said oftentimes the most dangerous time for victims in situations of domestic abuse is after an order for protection is served.

Gulbertson has been convicted of prior crimes, such as burglaries dating back to the ’90s, along with disorderly conduct and criminal damage, Nelson said. The man also was reportedly involved with some other assaultive behavior in May.

Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson said charges will be filed once his office has received reports of the incident and met with authorities.

Winkels anticipated he’d get the results of Morrow’s autopsy as early as Monday afternoon.

Authorities said they do not know the exact time of death, but they are assuming Morrow died Saturday night.

Winkels asked for help from people who know Morrow or Gulbertson and might have seen them over the weekend. Authorities are trying to track their whereabouts.

Freeborn County Crime Victims Crisis Center Coordinator Rose Olmsted called the incident a tragedy and asked for members of the community to get involved in the prevention of domestic abuse.

“People need to stop turning a back or an eye to domestic violence,” Olmsted said.

She noted that in her time at the Crime Victims Crisis Center, she has seen children living in violent homes grow up and become perpetrators themselves.

“This is not an isolated situation in our community,” Nelson said, pointing out that 2009 is the 30th anniversary of the Crime Victims Crisis Center in Freeborn County.