Chelcey Adami

The (Salinas) Californian

The body of a missing California woman likely sat in a Walmart parking lot for months before anyone noticed, according to authorities.

Lauren Moss, 22, was reported missing out of Seaside, Calif., in mid-November, according to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. John Thornburg.

Her body was found in a parked car in a Walmart parking lot in Salinas, Calif., last week, according to authorities.

While toxicology results are still pending, it’s believed that the cause of death was likely a suicide.

Store employees reported that the vehicle had been there for some time, had tinted windows and didn’t appear out of the ordinary, Salinas Police Cmdr. Vincent Maiorana said. Security camera footage of the parking lot showed the car had been parked in the lot since December, according to police, KTLA-TV reported.

However, as employees began to look into the vehicle on Wednesday afternoon, they realized that there was a body inside and called police around 5 p.m.

The body was badly decomposed and appeared to have been there for some time, Maiorana has said.