Santa Barbara police investigators were combing the beach below Shoreline Park Thursday afternoon, looking for clues in the death of a 60-year-old man whose body was found there a week ago.
After receiving a report from the Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Office Wednesday, detectives returned to the shoreline where Christopher Evan Marks’ body was recovered Sept. 20, according to police Sgt. Riley Harwood.
“As a result of the autopsy findings, they led us to believe there were suspicious circumstances to the case,” Harwood said. “We have not been able to rule out suicide, accidental death or foul play.”
Police have cordoned off part of the beach, and the bluff above, and were combing through the sand and vegetation looking for evidence.
As many as 20 officers were on scene — using rakes, shovels and a metal detector — and were being assisted by a skip loader.
Harwood would not elaborate about what investigators were looking for, or offer any specifics from the autopsy report.
Detectives received the autopsy report Wednesday morning, and spent the day following up leads, Harwood said, adding that they wanted to return to the beach where Marks’s body was found before the tide got high again.
Marks, an attorney, was associated with Sweeney Canyon Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, Harwood said.
Noozhawk Executive Editor Tom Bolton contributed to this story.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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