Best friend of naked woman found dead with markings on her neck in Big Sur wilderness speaks out

The best friend of the woman who was found dead near Big Sur in suspicious circumstances has issued a moving tribute following her shock death.Garrett Mail said Joanna Ruth Shields helped form “who I am today” after she was identified as the woman found with markings around her neck on a Monterey County trail last week.Shields, 37, was found naked in a pool of water with a gash on her head on Pine Ridge Trail near Sykes Hot Springs on Friday.Cops are treating her death as suspicious and launched an investigation, but said they are waiting for a toxicology report.Mail wrote on Facebook: “I honestly don’t have words for how devastating this is to me.Joanna literally formed who I am today as a person.“She taught me how to be mindful, how to appreciate ALL forms of art, what unconditional love means, how to find positive perspective in all situations, how to be patient, when to be fierce and to never lose my sense of exploration or wonder.”He continued: “Joanna was the person to tell me to ‘Get off the phone with me and go ask your future wife on a date!’ My life assuredly would’ve been completely different, had it not been for Joanna’s friendship.”In his post, Mail described Shields as a deeply influential and adventurous spirit who touched countless lives.“Through the years, Joanna and I went on tons of adventures together,” he wrote.

“But for Joanna, almost anything was an adventure with the right people around.“She could make the most inane, dull or intense situations that much better, just because she was around.”He added that even as life took them in different directions, their bond never faded.“Every time we’d see each other, it was like we’d never missed a beat.

I’d always come back more refreshed, more clear.”Mail also revealed Shields had been planning a new chapter in her life, including launching a podcast aimed at helping others.“Joanna was about to do something great,” he wrote.“She was about to start a...