Insect bites explained neck marks on Big Sur hiker, coroner says
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that Joanna Ruth Shields died from “probable alcohol withdrawal seizures due to chronic alcohol use disorder,” a finding made by Sheriff-Coroner Tina Nieto that closed a months-long investigation.
Shields, 37, was found dead in April in the Big Sur backcountry. A group of hikers discovered her naked body in a pool of water in the Sykes Hot Springs area of the Ventana Wilderness. The hikers saw marks on her neck and a cut across her forehead, and the sheriff’s office initially investigated the death as suspicious.
The group also came across a man who told them he had been hiking with Shields, according to the sheriff’s office. The man said Shields went to the bathroom and did not return; when he went looking for her, he found her facedown in the water. The man cooperated with the investigation.
The coroner’s forensic examination determined that the marks on Shields’ neck were the result of insect bites. The gash on her forehead was superficial and did not contribute to her death, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators found no evidence throughout the investigation to indicate that Shields was the victim of a crime.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with Joanna’s family and loved ones,” Nieto wrote in a statement. “We hope these findings provide them with some measure of peace and closure after several difficult months.”
Shields was a passionate skater who worked as a brand ambassador for Evolve Skateboards.