A post-mortem examination of US tourist Susan McLean has proved inconclusive.
Pathologists have been unable to establish how the 61-year-old died after she vanished while holidaying with her family in Aberfeldy.
Mrs McLean’s body was found by a volunteer search party on August 15, nearly three months after she was reported missing.
But The Courier can today reveal that the cause of her death may never be known, because her body had been left exposed to the elements for so long.
Her death certificate lists the cause as “unascertained”.
Medical practitioner David Sadler, who registered the death, notes on the certificate: “Putrefied body”.
Friends had said they were “astonished” that they were able to find Mrs McLean after two separate days of searching woodlands in Aberfeldy, while police failed to find a trace.
Investigators said Mrs McLean’s death is not being treated as suspicious. It is understood that a bottle of vodka and pills were found close to her body.
The post-mortem does not state when the horse riding instructor died, but notes she was found at 1.15pm.
Mrs McLean, from Pennsylvania, is known to have stormed out of her accommodation at Moness Resort at Aberfeldy after a row with husband, veterinary surgeon Donald, on May 17.
He later said: “Being upset, she left the lodge to go for a walk to cool off, something she often did to clear her head.”
Mr McLean said it was normal for his wife to go walking on her own. He said she did something similar the previous week while they were on Oban.
Mrs McLean’s friend, Lorna VanderZanden, flew to Scotland in July to reignite the search. She said yesterday: “I speak for many of Susan’s friends. She is sadly missed but we know she is resting in peace in angels’ arms.”
Speaking after finding her friend on the Loch Hoil Trail, she said: “ I am totally astonished that I could come here and find Susan McLean in four weeks with eightvolunteers on two Saturdays when Police Scotland could not find her in three months.”
Searching police passed within 30-feet of Mrs McLean’s body but had planned further searches.