A Lake Elmo woman found dead in a wooded area Saturday morning likely died of hypothermia, according to a preliminary autopsy report.
Authorities found Alexandra Arnt, 25, in a wooded area on a rural segment of County Road 19 in Cottage Grove after she had been reported missing by her boyfriend and family members, said Woodbury police spokeswoman Michelle Okada.
Arnt had been out on Friday night and had last been heard from around 2:30 a.m. Saturday. She was believed to have been on her way home, but never arrived, Okada said.
Police from Woodbury, Cottage Grove, the State Patrol and the Washington County Sheriff's Office conducted a search and found her car in a ditch near Woodbury Drive and County Road 19 in Woodbury. Arnt's cellphone was still in the vehicle.
Arnt was found dead several hours later in a wooded snow packed area about a mile from her vehicle across the border in Cottage Grove.
The temperature was just below zero when she was found.
Arnt will be remembered for her contagious laugh and smile "that brought joy to everyone around her," according to her obit published online.
Authorities continue to investigate.
