State Police identify woman found dead on beach

0
Lambert's Cove Beach looking northeast towards Makonikey head. — Photo by Susan Safford

State Police identified a woman found dead Tuesday on the Island’s North Shore, between Lambert’s Cove Beach and Split Rock off Makonikey, as Sharon Edell, 64, of West Tisbury.

State Police Sergeant Jeff Stone said foul play is not suspected. State Police investigate all unattended deaths. The medical examiner was scheduled to conduct an autopsy Wednesday as is customary.

Sergeant Stone said a woman walking her dog found the dead woman at around 11 am, Tuesday. West Tisbury police, EMTs, and firefighters responded.

Sergeant Stone said that although Ms. Edell, an artist and horsewoman, had been an Island resident since 1978 and had many Island friends and connections, she had been estranged from her family for more than 20 years, and as far as he had been able to discover, she had no known relatives. He asked anyone with knowledge of family members to call the State Police barracks at 508-693-0545.

After learning of her death, Ms. Edell’s ex-husband, Scott Terry of Falmouth, took responsibility for her funeral arrangements and told The Times a celebration of her life would be announced at a later date.