A Southern California woman has been found dead on a hiking trail near Big Sur under suspicious circumstances.
The body of a 37-year-old from Carlsbad, identified as Joanna Ruth Shields, was discovered along Pine Ridge Trail near Sykes Hot Springs last week.
She was found naked in a pool of water with markings around her neck and a gash on her head, reports say.
Shields’ sister, Claudia Robinson, confirmed Shields’ death, which she says happened because of a “tragic event,” in an Instagram post.
Joanna Ruth Shields sitting cross-legged on a rock, giving peace signs.
Yellow caution tape stretched across a path in a wooded area.
“We found out late Saturday evening and we’re all in different stages of grief as we attempt to process such a devastating blow to our hearts,” Robinson wrote.
“[Shields] was a bright, radiant light in the peak of experiencing her own joy and gratitude for her existence, and her absence on this Earth will have a profound affect on countless numbers who had the opportunity to encounter her beautiful spirit,” she added.
“As my sister Rachel said, ‘This is the saddest sadness I have ever known.'”
Joanna Ruth Shields smiling while wearing a helmet and holding a skateboard. Instagram/@jojoeskates
A dirt trail with green grass on the left and a wooden post on the right.
A group of hikers said they had a chilling encounter with someone who said he was her friend, who they claim said she had been cleaning herself in the river when he found her face down in the water.
Hiker Luke Heerem told NBC: “They were out there. She went to the bathroom and was cleaning herself off in the river around 10:30. He went looking for her and then saw her face down in the water, naked.”
Another, Gabe Holmes, said: “I didn’t see any blood. She was pale. She had markings around her neck. And when the firefighter lifted the jacket, he confirmed that she had a big gash on her head.”
The hikers alerted California State Parks and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office after finding the body. Deputies, assisted by California Highway Patrol Air Operations, recovered the remains on Friday.
The county medical examiner has completed a forensic examination, but the cause and manner of death remain under investigation pending toxicology results, according to the sheriff’s office.
Shields was an avid skater, often posting herself skating on her Instagram account. She worked as a customer experience manager at Evolve Skateboards USA, according to her LinkedIn.
The county medical examiner has completed a forensic examination, but the cause and manner of death remain under investigation pending toxicology results, according to the sheriff’s office.
Portrait of Joanna Ruth Shields, a 37-year-old woman from Carlsbad, wearing a brown hat and a necklace.
Shields was an avid skater, often posting herself skating on her Instagram account. She worked as a customer experience manager at Evolve Skateboards USA, according to her LinkedIn.
The California Post has reached out to both the sheriff’s office and the medical examiner for comment.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
