by Seamus McGraw

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BURIEN, WA. (Crime Library) — It is small comfort, but at least now, her family and authorities who have been frantically searching for 32-year-old Nicole Theresa Pietz know where she is.

Her body was found Tuesday, authorities confirmed, discovered by a hiker who stumbled across it in a wooded area just a few blocks from S. 114^th Street and Des Moines Memorial Drive in Burien.

So far, investigators have released few details about the discovery, which came at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, other than to say that it appeared the woman's body had been there for several days. They have not yet disclosed a cause of death though they are expected to do so perhaps as early as this afternoon when the county coroner completes a post mortem. "The autopsy completed, but the coroner has not yet released a cause or manner of death,' King County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. John Urqhart told Crime Library. "I expect that we'll get that today and that should determine whether it was murder, or suicide or what."

But even without the coroner's final determination, authorities are treating the woman's death as a possible homicide. "I would say we're leaning toward a homicide... It certainly is very, very suspicious," Urqhart said. "It was an unusual spot for her to end up, not a place you would expect a natural death to occur or a suicide, for that matter," he added.

Authorities have made no arrests and no one has been identified as a suspect.

The young woman, who suffered from chronic back pain and was reportedly under significant financial pressure after recently buying a condominium with her husband, vanished Jan. 28 after leaving home to have dinner with friends. She never showed up, and the next day, her husband reported her missing.

At first, authorities said they had found no evidence of foul play. But as the days wore on without a trace of Pietz or the late model Volkswagen Jetta she was last seen driving, friends and family expressed grave doubts about her well being. They noted — among other things — that the dedicated young employee of a cell phone company would no simply run off without calling work or her loved ones.

In the days afterwards, a website was set up where friends, and even strangers, posted thoughts and hopes for her safe return. Now the board is accepting messages of condolence.

Contact Seamus McGraw at seamusm@ptd.net