Coroner: No foul play in death of missing North Barrington woman

Coroner: No foul play in death of missing North Barrington woman


Staff report

1:11 PM CST, February 17, 2012

An autopsy on a missing North Barrington woman found no signs of trauma or foul play, and authorities say they are awaiting results of toxicology tests to determine how she died.

Maria Carlsen was discovered in a drainage pipe near U.S. Route 12 and Ivanhoe Road, just south of Wauconda, on Thursday. Bottles of medication used to treat anxiety and depression were found with her, along with a bottle of water, according to Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran.

The sheriff said it appeared Carlsen, 61, committed suicide, though she left no note. Lake County Coroner Artis Yancy said his office would make no determination until after reviewing the toxicology results.

The sheriff's department began looking for Carlsen after she failed to board a plane Tuesday to Boca Raton, Fla., where her husband was awaiting her. Her family last heard from her about 2 p.m. Monday, but when a limousine driver arrived at her home Tuesday morning to take her to O'Hare International Airport, neither she nor her black BMW sedan was there.

Authorities found the car at J&D's Bar and Grill, a tavern on U.S. Route 12 about three miles from her house. Owner Jose Banuelos said that though the car was there when he arrived Tuesday morning, he hadn't seen Carlsen in the bar before it closed at 11 p.m. Monday.

The discovery of the car sparked a search of the nearby Lakewood Forest Preserve and surrounding woods, carried out by deputies, trained dogs and a helicopter. It ended with the discovery of her body about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

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