Cause-of-death determination could be up to 90 days away
By Daily Press staff
SM BEACH — The cause of death won’t be known for up to three months for the woman whose body washed onto shore here earlier this week.
The Los Angeles County Department of Coroner has deferred the autopsy pending further investigation. Toxicology tests will most likely be conducted, and it could take 90 days to determine exactly how she died.
The woman’s identity isn’t known, but officials do know that she was 35 years old and a possible transient. She was discovered by a surfer on Monday at Bay Street. The woman’s body was fully clothed with four or five layers of clothing. She was wearing two pairs of earrings, a blue stone necklace, a fake lei, beads and other jewelry.
There was no sign of trauma to the woman’s body, and the incident has been classified as a suicide or an accident. Authorities said the body was not in an advanced state of decomposition and likely was in the water for three or four days, maybe less.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 18, 2005. Read the original PDF.