Authorities in Oregon say a 58-year-old Portland man is facing criminal charges after he was stopped by police earlier this week.

According to Oregon Live, authorities initiated a traffic stop on Monday and a subsequent search of driver Thomas J. Mackley’s trunk revealed a dead human body.

An autopsy report indicated that the female victim was killed, but she was not immediately identified. Police did not reveal additional details about the manner or cause of the victim’s death.

Police arrested Mackley at the scene of the traffic stop on Southeast Holgate Boulevard. No one else was inside the vehicle at the time of the incident, according to reports.

As Fox News reported, the Portland police believe the victim could be a missing 89-year-old local woman.

Reports indicate Marcine Herink was last seen at her home in the area earlier this month. Police said her home was left unsecured and her purse was found on the floor inside.

Mackley, identified as a convicted sex offender with charges of sodomy and sex abuse dating back nearly 30 years, soon became a person of interest in the elderly woman’s disappearance.

In addition to the 1988 arrest that led to a conviction the following year, Mackley was reportedly arrested nine years ago for failure to register as a sex offender. He told authorities that he suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Detectives say the current investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the suspect or the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death is asked to contact police by calling 503-823-0762 or emailing erik.kammerer@portlandoregon.gov.

Records indicate Mackley is scheduled to appear in court this week for an arraignment on murder charges.

[Featured image: Thomas Mackley, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office]