Body found in Des Moines identified

Des Moines police had an autopsy and dental-records check completed before they released the name of a woman whose body was found on the city’s north side Wednesday. Senior police officer Vince Valdez says the 21-year-old woman’s identified as Quyen Chau of Des Moines. The officer says aside from signs of exposure and dehydration, nothing was evident that could have caused the woman’s death. There will be more tests like toxicology but he says there were no signs of trauma that would point to homicide. He says September 20th the woman’s sister dropped her off for a doctor’s appointment but found her gone when she returned to pick her up, so the family filed a missing-persons report the next day. Her body was found November 13 by a power-company crew surveying a wooded area on the capital city’s north side.