This undated photo shows the beach at Plum Island, Mass., near where a woman’s body was discovered Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015. An autopsy was set for Monday to determine the cause of death for a woman whose body was found on a Massachusetts beach Sunday morning.
The Boston Globe reported that a couple walking in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge saw the body and called police. The refuge is located on Plum Island, just off the northeast coast of Massachusetts, approximately 40 miles north of Boston.
The woman could not be immediately identified. Carrie Kimball Monahan, a spokeswoman for the Essex County District Attorney’s office, told the Globe that the body was partially unclothed, but there were no obvious signs of foul play. Investigators also had not released any details about the woman’s age, physical appearance, or how long she had been in the water as of early Monday.
“If it becomes necessary, we may share those details with the public,” Monahan told the paper.
The Globe reported that the beach, which would typically be packed on an August Sunday, was all but deserted due to unseasonably cool temperatures and wet weather. Steven LeBlanc, of Groveland, Mass., told the Globe the area was “definitely not a good place to stash a body” due to the number of people who are usually around in the summer.
This is not the first time human remains have appeared on Plum Island. In December, several body parts washed up over the course of a weekend. Authorities said the remains were from an adult male, but they never identified him.