By Joe Johnson
An autopsy was unable to establish the cause of death for a missing Athens woman whose body was found last week in the northwest part of the county, an Athens-Clarke County Police Department spokesman said on Monday.
Adriana Castañeda had been reported missing on March 7, and her body was found two weeks later in a wooded area near the Maple Forge subdivision off Lavender Road.
Investigators “did not observe any obvious signs of injury that would result in a death,” said Lt. Shaun Barnett, who is ACCPD’s public information officer.
“The body was transported to the crime lab,” he said. “An autopsy was done, and the cause of death was not determined.”
Toxicology tests are still to be conducted, according to Barnett.
Castañeda, 38, who resided on Kathwood Drive was discovered by police officers the morning of March 21 as they conducted a search around Maple Forge as part of what police called an ongoing investigation, the nature of which was not disclosed.
Her body was found not far from a house on Maple Forge Drive that is owned by a man that Castañeda was said to have been dating.
The roommate who reported Castañeda missing on March 7 told police that she was last seen four days earlier, when she left to attend a party at Rodeo Night Club Athens on Commerce Road.
Police asked for anyone with information related to Castañeda’s disappearance and death to contact Detective Harrison at 762-400-7361 or david.harrison@accgov.com.