Officials ID woman found dead in Calumet County

NEW HOLSTEIN - An 18-year-old New Holstein woman is found dead outside a rural home, and investigators are trying to figure out just what caused her death.

The body of Monica Batts was discovered Friday afternoon by a homeowner on County Highway X. It's just east of the city of New Holstein. That's in Calumet County.

Around 12:30 Friday, the man who lives at the home was heading to his garage. Calumet County sheriff's deputies say what he found in his back yard was unexpected.

"He was walking to his garage and he discovered the body behind his residence. At that time, he called 911,” said Lt. Mark Wiegert.

Wiegert says 18-year-old Monica Batts of New Holstein had been lying there for more than six hours when she was discovered. The man who found her did not know her.

"She was fully clothed at the time. I'm not prepared to release any further details about the body. We treat all deaths as suspicious until the time the autopsy's finished and we can come up with the cause of death,” Wiegert explained.

Deputies are trying to figure out how Batts got to the house outside of New Holstein. There was no car left outside. However, they are tracking some footprints through a field that leads towards town.

"I don't know a lot about her past at this point. That's another thing investigators are working on, seeing where she may have been before showing up at this residence,” said Wiegert.

FOX 11 News spoke with Batts's parents on the phone Saturday afternoon. They said they could not comment because of the ongoing investigation. They simply said they just want to know what happened to their daughter.

An autopsy is planned for Monday in Fond du Lac County.

Sheriff's officials say there is no reason to think the public is in danger. Deputies could not comment on whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in Batts's death.