LEON, W.Va. — The National Park Service in Fayette County confirmed Friday the death of woman whose body was found in Mason County last month was caused by suicide.
NPS Spokesperson Eve West told MetroNews its believed the woman jumped off the New River Gorge Bridge.
“Her vehicle was found on top of the New River Gorge Bridge with her things inside. There was no note. She was here visiting the area by herself and had no companion with her,” West said.
Mason County deputies on Tuesday identified the woman as Agnieszka Drelich-Smith, of Beverly Hills, Calif. She was in her 30s.
Drelich-Smith was reported missing on Dec. 12, 2022. Her body was found on Feb. 22 at a boat landing in the community of Leon, which is about 100 miles away from the New River Gorge Bridge.
West said it was the longest distance they’ve ever seen a body travel downstream.
“This event was unprecedented in that we’ve never had a body travel this far,” she said.
NPS had been searching the area for the woman since her disappearance. West said it was a long search that included heavy storms.
“We began the water search on Dec. 13 and we continued with that search in the days and weeks there after. Of course, we had a lot of high water events right after that,” she said.
Authorities were able to identify Drelich-Smith through tattoos on her body and photos that were found on her cellphone that was left behind in her vehicle.