Autopsy: St. Louis ballet dancer found in lake drowned
An autopsy has found that a St. Louis ballet dancer whose body was found in a rural northeast Missouri 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 at Mark Twain State Park, about 100 miles northwest of St. Louis. More than 100 people helped search for her before a pilot spotted her while flying over the lake.
