For months, mystery swirled around a 37-year-old Carlsbad woman found dead in the backcountry of Big Sur with a cut on her forehead and markings around her neck.<\/p>\n
Hikers came across Joanna Ruth Shields\u2019 body in a pool of water near Sykes Hot Springs on April 9, and rescue teams recovered her from the remote area of the Los Padres National Forest the following day, according to the Monterey County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Witnesses speculated that the markings could be a sign she was strangled, raising concerns about possible foul play. Detectives initially classified the case as a \u201csuspicious death.\u201d<\/p>\n
But on Thursday, the Monterey County sheriff-coroner announced that detectives had found no evidence that a crime had taken place.<\/p>\n
Her manner of death was ruled natural. Her cause of death was determined to be seizures due to alcohol withdrawal. <\/p>\n
Alcohol withdrawal seizures<\/a> are a rare, yet very dangerous, symptom experienced by about 1% of people suffering alcohol withdrawal. They typically take place within six to 48 hours of the body undergoing a sharp decrease in blood alcohol levels after a prolonged period of heavy drinking.<\/p>\n The sheriff-coroner\u2019s determination on the cause of death was based on a forensic examination, Shields\u2019 health and medical records and information provided by her family regarding her struggles with chronic alcohol use disorder. <\/p>\n The coroner determined that the markings found on her body were consistent with \u201cpostmortem insect activity\u201d and were not evidence of strangulation. The gash on her forehead was determined to be superficial and not a contributing factor in her death.<\/p>\n Detectives also interviewed the person who was reported to be hiking with Shields last, who they said was fully cooperative with their investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cOur thoughts and prayers remain with Joanna\u2019s family and loved ones,\u201d Sheriff-Coroner Tina Nieto said in a statement Thursday. \u201cWe hope these findings provide them with some measure of peace and closure after several difficult months.\u201d<\/p>\n The rugged area where Shields\u2019 body was found is accessible via a 20-mile hike with 5,000 feet of elevation and several river crossings along the Pine Ridge Trail, according to AllTrails. <\/p>\n Her friend Jessica Fessler described Shields as an adventurous spirit who was in love with nature.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was something so free about her \u2026 like she belonged to the wind and the sunshine,\u201d Fessler wrote in a GoFundMe<\/a> created to assist the family with funeral expenses. \u201cOften gliding by on her skateboard, with a smile that brightened her gorgeous blue eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Fessler said Shields moved through the world with brightness and spontaneity in a constant journey of self-development. <\/p>\n