The cause of death for the hiker mysteriously found naked and dead in Big Sur has been revealed.
37-year-old Carlsbad native Joanna Ruth Shields died of “probable alcohol withdrawal seizures due to chronic alcohol use disorder,” the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.
Her body was found in a pool of water on Pine Ridge Trail near Sykes Hot Springs on April 9. She had a gash on her head and hikers claimed she had suspicious markings on her neck.
The cause of death appears to rule out a homicide. Cops previously shot down any suggestion she had been strangled, saying they believe the marks were possibly caused by ants.
