Pala
A partially decomposed body discovered just off California 76 in Pala has been identified as that of a 22-year-old Oceanside woman, authorities said Thursday.
Melissa White appears to have been strangled, although the exact cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy is performed today, a San Diego County Coroner’s Office spokesman said.
White’s nude body was discovered in a culvert just east of Pala Mission Road about 4 p.m. Wednesday by a passer-by, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said. Authorities would not speculate as to when White died, saying they wanted to wait until an autopsy was completed. Homicide detectives are investigating the case.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
