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Authorities are investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered by hikers in the backcountry near Big Sur, California, on Thursday (April 9). The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as Joanna Ruth Shields, age thirty-seven, from Carlsbad, California, after her body was found naked near Sykes Hot Springs in the Ventana Wilderness area of Los Padres National Forest.
According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, hikers reported seeing markings around Shields’ neck and a large gash on her head. One hiker, Gabe Holmes, told KSBW, “I didn’t see any blood. She was pale. She had markings around her neck. I don’t want to say choking marks, but when the firefighter lifted the jacket, he confirmed that she had a big gash on her head.”
The group of hikers also encountered a man at the scene who claimed to be Shields’ friend. The man reportedly told them he found her face down and naked in the water after they had separated briefly. According to Luke Heerema, one of the hikers, the man explained, “She went to the bathroom. She was cleaning herself off in the river around 10:30 a.m., and he went looking for her and then just saw her face down in the water, naked.” The hikers described the man as appearing scared, nervous, and in shock.
Because of weather and darkness, search-and-rescue teams could not recover the body until Friday afternoon. A forensic medical examination was performed on Monday (April 13), but the official cause and manner of death are pending toxicology results, according to the Monterey County Sheriff-Coroner's Office.
The sheriff’s office is treating the case as suspicious, but there have been no arrests or suspects identified. Officials stated there is no known threat to the public at this time. The investigation remains active, and anyone with information is urged to contact Monterey County Sheriff’s Detective R. Geng at 831-755-3700 or submit an anonymous tip through the department’s website.