For several months, the cause of death of a Carlsbad woman who died under suspicious circumstances in the wilderness of Big Sur had been shrouded in mystery. On Thursday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Coroner announced that no evidence had been found to determine that Joanna Ruth Shield s was a victim of a crime. The manner of death for 37-year-old Shields was determined to be natural and the cause of death found to be “probable alcohol withdrawal seizures due to chronic alcohol use disorder,” the sheriff’s office said. Forensic examination, plus a reliable medical and health history obtained from Shields’ family were used to arrive at that determination. On April 9, Shields’s body was discovered along Pine Ridge Trail near Sykes Hot Springs by a group of hikers who spoke with NBC affiliate KSBW after their two-night hike in the backcountry. The hikers reported the grisly discovery to California State Parks and Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies. Initially, those hikers described Shields’ body as pale, with markings around her neck and a gash on her head. They also noted there was no blood at the scene. Later, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office clarified that what were initially believed to be ligature marks on Shields’ neck were actually a trail of ant bites, not signs of strangulation.  A sheriff’s commander also said there was no information supporting the earlier reports of a skull fracture. The markings observed on Shields’ neck were consistent with “postmortem insect activity” and were not in fact any evidence of strangulation or any criminal act, the coroner’s office said. The injury on her forehead was determined to be “superficial” and was not found to have contributed to her death, the agency said. Hikers at the scene also told KSBW they encountered a man who said he was Shields’ friend. Detectives said they contacted that man and he was fully cooperative with investigators throughout the investigation. The agency added that no further investigative action would be taken based on the results of the investigation. Monterey County Sheriff-Coroner Tina Nieto released the following statement: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Joanna’s family and loved ones. We hope these findings provide them with some measure of peace and closure after several difficult months. I also want to thank our detectives, Coroner’s staff, our forensic pathologist, and our public safety partners for their professionalism, compassion, and dedication to conducting a thorough investigation and providing Joanna’s family with the answers they deserved.” The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office added that they extend their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Joanna Ruth Shields. Shields was a former brand ambassador for Evolve Skateboard in Oceanside, and was described by those who knew her as energetic and deeply connected to her community. Shields’ family, who owns Vinaka Café in Carlsbad, shared their grief in a post on Instagram at the time of her death. “Our family is grieving the loss our of youngest. She was a bright soul in our community and will be missed by so many.” This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less