SPOKANE, Wash. — After more than a week of speculation and unanswered questions, what happened to a woman found dead in a Minnehaha field is clear.
Spokane County's Medical Examiner's Office says Carol Streit, 65, died of natural causes, specifically arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).
According to Johns Hopkins, ARVC is a rare heart disease that can lead to sudden cardiac death, even in young or otherwise healthy people.
The medical examiner confirms to KREM 2 News that's what happened in Streit's case.
"The death in this case was a sudden cardiac death caused by a disease of the heart muscle," the office said in an email Thursday.
After Streit was found dead in the field near Buckeye and Custer on December 13, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office said the only obvious injuries were to her "upper extremities" that appeared to have come from the dog found with her. That dog was reportedly aggressive toward responding law enforcement and "had blood on it" according to the sheriff's office.
A later search warrant clarified Streit had serious injuries to both arms but it was "unknown if these injuries were caused by the dog or other means."
The medical examiner tells KREM 2 Streit did not die, either directly or indirectly, from a dog attack.
"Upon initial evaluation at the scene, it appeared possible that the injuries to her arms could have been caused by an animal attack. However, careful examination at autopsy proved that the injuries to her arms occurred after death (postmortem animal predation) and did not cause or contribute to death," the email said.
KREM 2 News also confirmed through Sheriff John Nowels the lead detective and medical examiner agree there was "no homicidal violence" in this case.
Sheriff Nowels did say the investigation will be considered on-going until the ME's written report is received by investigators.
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