Cape Girardeau woman found dead in Illinois

MAKANDA, Ill. -- A body found Tuesday morning in Jackson County, Ill., has been identified as that of a Cape Girardeau woman.

Marsha Ann Brown, 40, was found dead on the south side of Potters Road near U.S. 51 in rural Makanda, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department reported in a news release Wednesday.

An autopsy was conducted Wednesday afternoon to confirm the cause of death, the release stated.

Just before 4 p.m. Wednesday, a woman answering the phone at Jackson County Coroner Thomas Kupferer's office confirmed the autopsy had been completed, but she did not have any information about the cause of death.

Kupferer was not immediately available for comment.

The sheriff's department declined to release a preliminary cause of death or other details, citing the ongoing investigation.

According to a news release issued by the department Tuesday afternoon, a motorist called Jackson County 911 about 9:40 a.m. Tuesday to report the discovery of a body.

Deputies responding to the scene found Brown's body in a ditch on the south side of the road, the release stated.

Authorities believe the body had been there less than 24 hours when it was found, the release stated.

The Carbondale and Murphysboro, Ill., police departments, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services Unit, Jackson County coroner's office and Missouri law enforcement agencies are assisting in the investigation, the release stated.

Online court records show that in 2009, a Marsha Ann Brown of Cape Girardeau was served with an order of protection.

In May 2009, Brown consented to a full order of protection for one year, but the petitioner moved to terminate the order in March 2010, two months before it was set to expire, online court records show.

It was not immediately clear who the petitioner was or how Brown and the petitioner were connected.

Online court records from a 1999 traffic citation show the same Marsha Ann Brown also was known as Marsha A. Headrick.

A birth announcement printed Friday in the Southeast Missourian lists Marsha Brown-Headrick of Cape Girardeau as the grandmother of a baby born Dec. 29.

Pertinent address:

Makanda, Ill.