The body of a woman was found on a golf course in Arnold on Wednesday morning, and Anne Arundel County police are investigating the death as suspicious.
After a preliminary investigation, the woman was identified as Diana Kapnistos Hester, 49, of Arnold.
Police spokesman Justin Mulcahy said a man walking his dog about 7:15 a.m. saw what at first appeared to be discarded clothes near the 15th hole tee box on the grounds of the Bay Hills Golf Club, but he quickly realized it was a woman's body.
Police were working Wednesday to determine how long the body was on the course before it was found.
"We believe she may have been out there for several hours," Mulcahy said.
The circumstances of Hester's death were under investigation, but there was no immediate indication of foul play or obvious signs of trauma to the body, police said. It isn't clear whether the weather played a role, although Mulcahy said the snow and cold made the review of the scene more challenging. The 15th hole is bordered by townhouses on one side and single-family homes on the other side.
Attempts to contact Hester's family Wednesday night were unsuccessful.
Police asked that anyone with information about Hester, or who might have who had contact with her since late Monday, contact Detective Shelly Rattell at 410-222-3458.
Baltimore Sun reporters Pamela Wood and Colin Campbell contributed to this article.
cwells@baltsun.com
twitter.com/cwellssun
pwood@baltsun.com
twitter.com/pwoodreporter ___
(c)2014 The Baltimore Sun
Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services