Hikers discover SoCal woman's body along popular Big Sur trail

BIG SUR, Calif. (KABC) -- A radical of friends are opening up astir a caller hike that took a disturbing crook - erstwhile they ran crossed a woman's assemblage on a fashionable way successful Big Sur.

The pistillate has been identified arsenic 37-year-old Joanna Ruth Shields of Carlsbad.

"I didn't spot immoderate blood. She was pale. She had markings astir her neck," described hiker Gabe Holmes. "And erstwhile the firefighter lifted the jacket, helium confirmed that she had a large gash connected her head."

The hikers besides accidental they had a chilling brushwood with a antheral who claimed to beryllium the woman's friend. He told them what helium says happened connected the trail.

"They were retired there, she went to the bathroom, she was cleaning herself disconnected successful the stream astir 10:30, and helium went looking for her and past conscionable saw her look down connected the water, naked," said hiker Luke Heerem.

An autopsy was performed connected Monday, but it could beryllium weeks earlier the woman's origin of decease is determined.

Investigators accidental the circumstances surrounding her decease are suspicious.