Authorities expect autopsy Wednesday after woman found dead on Pleasure Island

Published 12:21 am Tuesday, November 30, 2021

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An autopsy is expected to be performed Wednesday on the woman police discovered dead Monday afternoon on Pleasure Island.

Port Arthur Police investigators began work identifying the victim immediately, taking finger prints to run with the FBI and DPS.

UPDATE: Authorities release ID on woman found dead.

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Those on scene told Port Arthur Newsmedia a positive identification is expected sometime today.

The victim is not believed to be a Port Arthur resident, and authorities are working with a near-by agency to notify next of kin.

Det. Mike Hebert said Port Arthur Police dispatch received a call of a deceased person at approximately 2:18 p.m. Monday. The body was located in the 1000 block of North Levee Road.

Police are not releasing many case details in an effort to maintain the investigation’s integrity, including how long the body had been there and who notified police.

However, the body was in a decent condition, meaning authorities do not expect the woman was there for an extended length of time.

Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Marc DeRouen said there wasn’t anything obvious on scene like knife or bullet wounds indicating foul play.

“There were a bunch of marks on her back, which could be related to fire ants or bugs eating on her back side as she laid there,” he said.

“There is foul play in the fact she was placed there by someone. She didn’t collapse there. There is some kind of foul play, but whether there was any harm done or she potentially overdosed and (those with her) just said, ‘oh, I don’t want to have anything to do with this;’ that part we really don’t know at this time.”

Hebert said PAPD is working the case as “a suspicious death.”