KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) has opened an investigation after bear hunters discovered a dead woman in the Marie Creek area of the Coeur d'Alene National Forest on Sunday.
KCSO indicates that they received the hunters' report around 8:00 p.m. Ultimately, KCSO backcountry deputies and detectives were dispatched to the scene.
Due to the remote location of the body, authorities had to remove a significant amount of downed trees to clear a path for vehicles to access the area.
Authorities say the dead woman had been there for "an extended period of time." Investigators also discovered a passport that demonstrated the dead woman may be a 69-year-old from New York.
The dead woman's identity is being withheld pending an identification by the Kootenai County Coroner's Office and notification of next of kin.
So far, authorities do not suspect foul play. A forthcoming autopsy is expected to be completed, and the investigation remains ongoing.
