A Los Angeles Police Department detective who was investigating the rape allegations against Derrick Rose died after being found with a gunshot wound.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s department on Wednesday identified the deceased detective as 44-year old Nadine Hernandez.  She is one of two detectives assigned to the Rose case and was a detective in the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division Special Assault Section.  She was frequently involved in high-profile sex crime cases, according to authorities.

Whittier police received a call at 2: 45 p.m. Tuesday reporting an attempted suicide, Whittier Lt. Steve Dean said.  Hernandez was taken to PIH Health Hospital, where she died at 3:27 p.m., according to Dean and the coroner’s department.  It was unclear whether the death was a suicide or a homicide, Dean said.  “We’re investigating it.”

Hernandez is the detective who wrote a letter stating that the criminal investigation against Rose is still active.  She also tried to help Rose’s rape accuser remain anonymous in the letter, supporting the woman’s attorney, Brandon Anand, who filed a request asking U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald to reconsider a decision to have the woman identified during the civil trial.