Woman found dead by people walking boardwalk trail at Grays Harbor refuge identified

A woman who was found dead Sunday afternoon at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge near Hoquiam has been identified as Danielle Leuenberger by the Grays Harbor Coroner's Office.

The cause of death of the 42-year-old woman from Port Hadlock is pending. An autopsy was completed Tuesday.

According to the Hoquiam Police Department, Leuenberger was found deceased on the boardwalk at the wildlife refuge, which is located at the end of Bowerman Airport, west of Hoquiam.

She was found by two women walking the refuge trail — a wooden boardwalk parallel to the airport runway — the report says.

The two women found Leuenberger's body less than a mile from the parking lot. The trail can only be accessed by foot and begins at the end of the airport's hanger area.

According to the report, the body appeared to have been outside prior to the heavy wind and rain that passed through the area.

Her purse was recovered at the scene with identification.

Several agencies assisted Hoquiam police in processing the area. The case is still under investigation.

Toxicology tests are pending, the report says, but initial findings suggest the woman "may have succumbed to exposure."

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective Don Grossi at 360-532-0892, ext. 295.

This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Woman found dead by people walking boardwalk trail at Grays Harbor refuge identified."