Coroner: Big Sur Hiker's Death Was From Alcohol Withdrawal

A death in the Big Sur backcountry that initially raised suspicions has now been ruled natural, reports People. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office says in a release that 37-year-old Joanna Ruth Shields died of probable alcohol withdrawal seizures tied to chronic alcohol use disorder, not foul play. Shields' body was discovered April 10 near Sykes Hot Springs in the Ventana Wilderness by hikers who reported what looked like neck marks and a head wound. After a full forensic exam, medical history review, and interviews—including with a man who was with her before she died and has cooperated—investigators concluded there was no evidence of a crime. "She was cleaning herself off in the river around 10:30am," a witness said Shields' friend told him at the time, per KSBW, "and he went looking for her and then just saw her face down in the water, naked."

The marks on her neck were likely insect bites, authorities said. The sheriff-coroner said no further investigative steps are planned and expressed condolences to Shields' family, who run Vinaka Café in Carlsbad. Per a GoFundMe set up for her family, "Joanna moved through this world with brightness and spontaneity—in love with nature, her family, her friends, and her constant journey of self development. There was something so free about her… like she belonged to the wind and the sunshine."