A body found Thursday in the woods off Old Highway 101 in the Steamboat Island area has been identified as a 41-year-old woman who had been reported missing out of Seattle, according to the Thurston County Coroner.
Because her family has yet to be notified, the coroner’s office has not made the woman’s name public, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said.
The woman was identified Monday by matching her fingerprints with a fingerprint database at the Washington State Patrol, Thurston County Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Elwin said.
A Department of Natural Resources crew found the body about 1:30 p.m. Thursday in remote woods near Old Highway 101 north of Whitaker Road Northwest.
Elwin said investigators are no closer to determining how the woman died. Her cause and manner of death are classified as “undetermined,” Elwin said. An autopsy over the weekend determined her body showed no signs of trauma, such as broken bones or homicidal violence.
Toxicology results are pending.
Thurston County detectives are trying to answer the question of how and why she ended up in such a remote location, Elwin said.
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5445 jpawloski@theolympian.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.