In Ocean City body on beach case, police hunt for answers

Ocean City police are waiting on results of an autopsy to help determine what happened to a Texas woman found dead on the beach.

The body of Ashley O'Connor was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Monday afternoon. The 30-year-old Plano, Texas, woman was found at about 6:30 a.m. Monday in a hole on the beach near Second Street, Ocean City officials said.

Her body was removed from the beach at approximately 4:15 p.m., according to officials. As the death is under investigation, said Jessica Waters, a spokeswoman for the town of Ocean City, the amount of time between when O'Connor's body was discovered and when it was removed from the beach allowed forensic technicians to process the scene professionally and appropriately.

On Tuesday, investigators were still waiting for results, Waters said, and did not have any other details in the case they could release.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Tuesday in an email that there is no specific timetable or deadline for the department's investigations. 

An autopsy typically takes two to four hours but can take longer depending on the time necessary to complete tests, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's website.

BACKGROUND: Body of Ocean City vacationer found buried on beach

Waters had said Monday that O'Connor was vacationing in the resort town with her parents. O'Connor became separated from her family at about 2 a.m. Monday, Waters said. O'Connor's body was found about four-and-a-half hours later. 

Ocean City officials said Monday O'Connor's death appears to be accidental, but they have not yet ruled anything out.

The area where the body was discovered was full of police activity, police tape, tents and large tractors Monday, but by Tuesday, there was no evidence of anything amiss. Beachgoers were out enjoying the sun, sand and surf.

Marjorie DeMott of Bridgeville and Margie Oliveira of Georgetown had come down Tuesday to spend the day on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

The pair said they heard news of the discovery of a body on the beach while watching the news Monday.

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"We heard that they had found a body on the beach that had been covered in sand," DeMott said.

But they said they weren't deterred by the news because it's not uncommon for them to hear about something going on in Ocean City.

"In Ocean City, there's a lot that goes on, but you probably don't hear about that because they don't want to scare people," DeMott said.