Autopsy findings released last month have done little to answer questions surrounding the death of a local woman whose body was recovered in rural Cowley County this summer.
Both the cause and manner of death for 39-year-old Emilie Porterfield Hill were listed as undetermined in a report from the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center in Wichita. The findings could be revisited if new information comes to light, according to an official.
An advanced state of decomposition limited the scope of Porterfield Hill’s autopsy.
Porterfield Hill was reported missing to Sumner County authorities on July 16 and was last seen July 15. Her body was found July 23 west of Arkansas City in a ravine washout with standing water beneath the body, according to the autopsy report reviewed by Cowley Post.
The autopsy revealed no signs of strangulation — the hyoid bone and larynx were intact — or assault. There was no evidence of significant acute injury or broken bones. Full-body X-rays showed no evidence of skeletal injury.
The medical examiner did not identify findings consistent with drowning.
There was no evidence identifying a clear natural cause of death. The report noted that some causes, including environmental exposure or asphyxiation, may not leave identifiable signs at autopsy, particularly in cases involving decomposition.
Toxicology testing provided little additional information and was also limited by the condition of the remains.
Porterfield Hill had a documented history of physical and mental health conditions, though the autopsy report did not indicate this contributed to her death.
The autopsy was performed the day after her body was recovered.
