5 years, 3 months ago by Associated Press / Scott Hardy
Monroe Co. Coroner says manner of death still unclear
An autopsy has found that a St. Louis ballet dancer whose body was found in Mark Twain Lake drowned.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that it obtained 23-year-old Raffaella Maria Stroik's autopsy report this month through an open records request. The Monroe County Coroner's Office determined that Stroik died by drowning. But Coroner Jim Reinhard said the manner of death was still unclear. He said there was no suicide note or injuries that clearly indicated a fall. An investigation began in November after Stroik's car was found parked for a second straight day near a boat ramp off Highway 107 at Mark Twain Lake. More than 100 people helped search for her before a pilot spotted her while flying over the lake.
That pilot, Ollie "Butch" Pennewell of Monroe City, was honored earlier this week by the Highway Patrol's Troop B in Macon for his efforts.
