"It sounds kind of trite, but she was wonderful," Hamilton said.
Alston joined the mayor's office in August 1999 as his liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau. She later became director of operations for the Office of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.
Police officers and the medical examiner investigate the scene at Wanda Alston's rowhouse on East Capitol Street. Much blood was found in the home, police said.
(Michael Robinson-chavez -- The Washington Post)
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When he appointed her to the gay issues office in 2001, Williams said: "Wanda Alston's experience dealing with the gay and lesbian community, as well as her background in the District government, combine to make her an excellent advocate and liaison for the community."
Peter D. Rosenstein, who advises Williams on gay and lesbian issues, said the slaying was "mind-blowing. She just is a very sweet, hardworking individual. The only hope you have is that the police will find out why."
Rosenstein said he learned of the slaying when he arrived at the John A. Wilson Building for a 6 p.m. meeting with Alston and City Administrator Robert C. Bobb.
Rosenstein said a colleague of Alston's told him that Alston's assistant had been trying to reach her for much of the afternoon. He said the assistant finally phoned Alston's partner, who drove to the home and discovered the body.
Bobb said he immediately phoned the police chief and others to verify the slaying and then headed over to the house.
Bobb expressed "shock and total disbelief. It just shows these type of things can touch any of us at any time."
Police shut down the block where Alston lived, using yellow crime scene tape, for more than six hours.
As police searched for clues, high-ranking city and police officials and family and friends arrived at the scene. School board member Mirian Saez sobbed into a handkerchief and was comforted by board President Peggy Cooper Cafritz.
A police source said that Alston received a delivery at her home about noon and that her death occurred sometime after that.
Staff writers Lori Montgomery and Del Quentin Wilber contributed to this report.
