Two bicyclists made a grim discovery Saturday morning at High Bridge Trail State Park in Prince Edward County, Virginia, when they came across a woman's body beneath a fallen tree. Crime Insider sources relayed the information to CBS 6 reporter Jon Burkett.
According to Matthew Demlein of Virginia State Police, the body was found at about 7:30 a.m. in the Prospect area of the park. State police have classified the matter as a suspicious death investigation.
Crime Insider sources also told Burkett that the tree where the woman was found appeared to have been freshly cut.
Demlein said the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Appomattox Field Office is leading the inquiry. Investigators are receiving help from the Department of Conservation and Recreation Law Enforcement and the Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office.
As of Saturday afternoon, authorities had not released the woman's identity or a possible cause of death. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to come forward. Tips can be directed to the Virginia State Police Division 3 Dispatch at 1-800-552-0962.
High Bridge Trail State Park sits in Prince Edward County, about 80 miles from Richmond along Route 460, roughly a 1-hour, 25-minute drive. The park's 32.2-mile trail is described by state tourism officials as "ideally suited for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding."
The park is also home to the High Bridge, which spans the Appomattox River and is the longest recreational bridge in the Commonwealth.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected as authorities learn more.
