Australian authorities find body of American tourist inside tree

Source: Foxnews

The decomposing body of a woman found in a tree in suburban Sydney last month was identified Monday as missing American tourist Melissa Joy Dietzel.

An arborist made the gruesome discovery of a woman's body on Jan. 12, after reports of a foul smell coming from the vicinity of the tree.

For several weeks, the identity of the body remained a mystery, until police solved it, largely from the American-branded clothing she was wearing when she died, The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph reported.

Detectives consulted with U.S. authorities, who identified Dietzel through the use of dental records and missing persons files.

Her family in the U.S. said she had been missing for more than a month when her body was found, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The 22-year-old, from Redlands, Calif., had traveled to Sydney last October or November after she graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah, a friend -- speaking on the condition of anonymity -- told The Herald.

To read rest of the story visit >> Foxnews

Do you like this story?