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NORTH OGDEN — Weber County sheriff's investigators have identified the body of a woman found near a popular hiking trail on Ogden's bench area.

But many questions remained Wednesday about the death of Amber Lyne Smith, 23, of Ogden, including how she died and why no one contacted police to report her missing.

Smith was believed to have been missing since April 1, said Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Lane Findlay.

She has family in the Ogden area and lived with a roommate, he said. They reportedly knew she had not been seen for a while, but did not report her as missing to authorities. Findlay admitted detectives are a bit "baffled" that she was never reported missing, and they're looking into that as part of their investigation.

As of Tuesday, the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office had not determined a cause of death. Toxicology and other tests could take a month or more to complete.

Smith's death is considered suspicious, Findlay said, because of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Initial findings do not appear to indicate that Smith suffered fatal injuries from a fall, though she was found in a steep, rugged area with thick oak brush, he said.

There are at least six posts on Smith's Facebook page on April 1, the last time any posts were made. The tone of many of the Facebook posts are angry, with Smith using frequent profanities to talk about how she doesn't care about anyone's opinion and that it was time to open a "new chapter."

On April 18, a woman posted on Smith's Facebook page, "Where are you baby girl? I miss you so much," and "I need to see and hear from you."

Smith's body was discovered Monday by a mountain biker. Anyone who may have seen her hiking in the foothills or had contact with her is asked to call the sheriff's office at 801-778-6638.

Contributing: Andrew Adams

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