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

BIG SUR, Calif. -- A group of friends are opening up about a recent hike that took a disturbing turn - when they ran across a woman's body along a popular trail in Big Sur.

The woman has been identified as 37-year-old Joanna Ruth Shields of Carlsbad.

"I didn't see any blood. She was pale. She had markings around her neck," described hiker Gabe Holmes. "And when the firefighter lifted the jacket, he confirmed that she had a big gash on her head."

The hikers also say they had a chilling encounter with a man who claimed to be the woman's friend. He told them what he says happened on the trail.

"They were out there, she went to the bathroom, she was cleaning herself off in the river around 10:30, and he went looking for her and then just saw her face down on the water, naked," said hiker Luke Heerem.

An autopsy was performed on Monday, but it could be weeks before the woman's cause of death is determined.

Investigators say the circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious.