Cause of Ukiah homeless woman’s death unknown

There were no obvious signs of trauma on the body and an autopsy was inconclusive, say authorities.|
GLENDA ANDERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Ukiah police are continuing to investigate the death of a homeless woman whose body they discovered last week, but they do not currently consider her death suspicious.

Police found the body of Rebecca Stiles, 59, along a footpath near Orchard Avenue and Kings Court, said Detective Sgt. Cedric Crook, an area frequented by transients.

There were no obvious signs of trauma on the body and an autopsy was inconclusive, said Sheriff's Capt. Greg Van Patten. Toxicology results are pending, he said.

Ukiah police were familiar with Stiles, Crook said, since first coming in contact with her in December 2015. Since then, she had been arrested numerous times for public intoxication, Crook said.

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