To add insult to injury she told she had known for a week and just got around to talking to me.

Keep in mind you do run the risk of triggering the Due on Sale Clause of the mortgage if you do this.  

.-- and apparently the woman didn't die, just had life-threatening injuries, but the homicide detectives were involved.

Consult with your tax advisor to ensure that you do not unintentionally trigger depreciation recapture. 

I have the resources to send out about 1000 yellow letters or 2000 postcards but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on the absentee landlords/owners lists because they are being pounded.I spoke with an out of state owner who happens to also be a RE Investor and he said he gets  4 or 5 letters a week!

They'd likely be a great resource for you and it's nice to have someone to give you a sanity check once in a while before you pull the trigger on a property. 

Also, it would give you a chance to network with some local flippers, or even potential rehabbers that can't pull the trigger because they don't have a contractor. 

Everything is a risk but, "Due on sale" is trigger that gives lenders the option to foreclose, not a law to be broken.  

I have run pro-forma's on properties in areas of Boise where my business partner has some connections and find that the return would be greater, not to say the purchase price lower, but I have concerns about pulling the trigger on a first deal not in my area.

I get what your saying Andy, Im ready to pull the trigger on my first buy and hold but would feel a bit safer if it was within driving distance.