At 7:03 a.m. this morning, the body of a 20-year-old female was found on the beach below the 6700 block of Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista. According to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Vince Agapito, two people spotted the body and called 9-1-1, but emergency crews declared the woman dead at the scene. The case has been forwarded to the Sheriff’s Office for investigation. Calls to Sheriff’s officials were not immediately returned.
[UPDATE, 6:00 p.m.]: The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman found dead this morning on an Isla Vista beach as UCSB student Sierra Markee-Winkler of Eureka, California. Initial dispatch information from the County Fire Department has been updated by law enforcement officials.
Markee-Winkler’s body was discovered by a bicyclist at approximately 7 a.m., said Sheriff’s spokesperson Kelly Hoover, who also stated that Markee-Winkler was found below the 6800 block of Del Playa Drive. Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, Hoover said.
“The exact cause and manner of death will not be determined for several weeks and is pending a coroner’s investigation,” said Hoover. “If anyone has information on this case, please contact the Isla Vista Foot Patrol at (805) 681-4179.”