Body found in Ottawa Co marina

OAK HARBOR, Ohio - Carroll Township police said two jet-skiers found a body of a female floating near the mouth of Lake Erie at Lamberjacks Marina in Oak Harbor early Tuesday evening.

The body of a young woman, likely in her late teens or early 20s, was discovered floating in about three or four feet of water. The body was weighed down with two large cement blocks.

The body was also found bound, the Ottawa County Sheriff said in a media release. Her hands were bound behind her back and her feet were tied together.

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"I saw a portion of the back (of the body) but due to the circumstances I did not think anything of it," said Vince Lamberjack, owner of the marina where the body was found. "I thought is was a tire, a burlap sack, or a blanket that washed up. You find that all the time in the marina."

The apparent homicide victim is described as Caucasian with a thin build. She was wearing only a white tank top and bra. The female body had a visible tattoo of a blue sunburst, about 2.5 inches in diameter, on her right front shoulder.

The tattoo's design is that of a five-point star designed in blue ink.

The sheriff's office said the jet-skiers spotted the body at around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday. The female body was spotted in an isolated area of the marina and was recovered from the water by the Ottawa County Sheriff's underwater response team.

Area residents said water levels have dropped over the past couple weeks in the marina, so either the drop in water level revealed the body or she washed up by the current.

The victim's body was transferred to the Lucas County Coroner's Office in Toledo for further examination and an autopsy. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Department said there was no immediate indication of cause of death.

The female body had been in the water for about one to two weeks. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that based on the Lucas County Coroner's autopsy, the woman died before she was inserted into the water.

Immediate thoughts were of Cindy Sumner, the 21-year-old Toledo woman who disappeared Aug. 6. Sumner's mother was contacted and she confirmed that Cindy does not have a tattoo on her shoulder.

Lamberjacks Marina is described as a quiet area for families and others to retreat during the summer months.

"It's very unusual in this area," said Gina Schiller. "It's a boater-family vacation land. It's supposed to be a happy place."

It's just a tragedy that it happened," added Rick Keiser, who owns Turtle Point Marina, which is near Lamberjacks Marina. "I hope it's an individual incident and it doesn't happen again."

If anyone has information on the identity of the female victim or recognize the tattoo you are asked to call the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at (419) 734-4404.

 

(FOX Toledo's Michelle Zepeda contributed to this report)