BUHLER, Kan. (AP) _ A task force has been formed in Reno County to investigate whether the weekend killing of an 85-year-old woman is linked to sexual assaults of older women in the county.

Authorities say Pearl Arthaud was found dead Sunday morning in her assisted-living apartment at the Sunshine Meadows Retirement Community in Buhler.

An autopsy showed the death was a homicide but police are releasing few other details.

The Sunshine Meadows administrator said there were no signs of forced entry in Arthaud's apartment but she had reported two break-ins in recent weeks.

A multi-agency task force was formed Monday to investigate the death and whether it might be connected to a sexual assault of a 90-year-old woman in South Hutchinson on March 30 and a sexual assault of a 62-year-old woman in southern Hutchinson on April 6.

District Attorney Keith Schroeder said the task force is looking into other cases in the county and are investigating whether similar cases have been reported in surrounding counties.

The only description of a suspect so far has been that he is a white male.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)