April 14, 2026 – Monterey County Sheriff’s Office officials report that the identity of a woman whose body was 
found in the area of Sykes Hot Springs in the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest has been confirmed.
On April 9th, 2026, California State Parks and Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies were informed of a body seen in the area of Sykes Hot Springs. Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputies, with assistance from CHP’s H70 Air Unit, were able to recover the body on Friday, April 10, 2026.
A forensic medical examination was conducted on Monday April 13th, 2026. The cause and manner of death are pending the results of toxicology tests.
Monterey County Sheriff-Coroner Tina Nieto identified the decedent as 37-year-old Joanna Ruth Shields of Carlsbad, California.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigating agency in this matter. Anyone with information that may be related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective R. Geng at 831-755-3700. You may also provide information anonymously on our website at mcso.countyofmonterey.gov and selecting the “Submit a Tip” tab.
Source: Monterey County Sheriff’s Office