The cause of death has not been determined for an 85-year-old Mount Vernon woman whose body washed ashore last Thursday near Anker Lane, just north of Dugualla Bay.

Jeanette Beatrice Pounds was found at 6:30 p.m. on the remote beach. How she arrived on Whidbey remains a mystery.

“We have no idea how she got over here,” said Island County Coroner Robert Bishop. Her name was unknown on Friday, when Bishop asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the body.

Pounds was last seen at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at a Mount Vernon restaurant. Although the deceased was known to walk up to 10 or 12 miles on a whim, the distance between Mount Vernon and where her body was found suggests that she either used public transportation or accepted a ride, which was not uncommon for the woman.

An autopsy performed Friday revealed no trauma, Bishop said, adding that she did not drown.

“We still, however, do not have a good cause of death,” he said, adding that she died Thursday morning or midday. “The investigation is pending.”

The coroner said there was no obvious reason for her to be in the water, speculating that the tide washed the body ashore.

Pounds was found in the same clothes she was wearing the previous day, a brown shirt with flowers, brown pants, a black jacket, and white Reebok shoes.

The deceased’s two sons are appealing to the public to provide information as to how she travelled to the island.

“She just about had to get a ride from someone or from transit,” Bishop said.

Anyone with information about Pounds should contact the Island County Sheriff’s Office at 679-9567.