Body found in field near Cloverdale identified as Willits woman

A body found last week in a field near Cloverdale has been identified as a 33-year-old Willits woman, authorities said Tuesday.

The woman, Amber Dillon, was identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Investigation Unit are investigating the case as a “suspicious” death, said Sgt. Juan Valencia, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. He said investigators have not determined whether it was a homicide.

Dillon’s body was found Jan. 7 in a remote location north of Cloverdale near the border of Sonoma and Mendocino counties, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The site was in an open space area adjacent to Highway 101, between the Highway 128 exit in Cloverdale and the Geysers Road exit in Mendocino County.

Authorities were alerted to the body shortly after 4 p.m. by someone who saw it in the field and flagged down a California Highway Patrol officer near Highway 101 and Geysers Road, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Valencia said Dillon’s body had not decomposed when it was found. But he declined to provide other details about the condition of the body, including the length of time that authorities believe it had been in the field, saying that releasing details about the crime scene could compromise the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officials were aware of speculation about the case being shared on social media.

The post said authorities would share additional details about the case when they become available.

A GoFundMe page has been set up on Facebook at http://bitly.bz/QwXbB by family friend Desirae Goggia of Magalia in Butte County to help pay for funeral expenses.

Goggia said Dillon’s mother lives in the Sacramento area. The site has raised $1,150 of a $5,000 goal.

Staff Writer Kathleen Coates contributed to this report.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.