Overview
- The Monterey County sheriff-coroner, which identified the victim Monday as Joanna Ruth Shields of Carlsbad, said hikers found her Thursday near Sykes Hot Springs in the Ventana Wilderness.
- Deputies recovered the body Friday with help from a California Highway Patrol H70 helicopter because the site sits in steep, hard-to-reach backcountry.
- A forensic medical exam is complete, and the cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending toxicology results.
- Hikers told reporters the woman appeared pale with neck markings and a head wound, and they described meeting a man who said he was her friend, which authorities have not confirmed.
- Investigators report no one is in custody and no known threat to the public, and they ask anyone with information to contact Detective R. Geng at 831-755-3700 or submit a tip online.