A 50 year-old female camper was found dead in the dining hall of Trade Lake Camp at 12:30 a.m. Friday morning (July 18).

"Given where she was found, the time of day and the circumstances surrounding her death, the incident is suspicious at this time," Burnett County Sheriff Dean Roland said Tuesday morning.

Roland said Shirley Meade was found in a chair in the camp's dining hall where she had been placed by camp staff.

"She was being watched for her medical condition, and no one at the camp ever contacted medical professionals," he said.

"The circumstances in this case need to be resolved — it's a bit peculiar," the sheriff continued.

An autopsy was conducted Monday and the sheriff's department should get results this week. Results from a toxicology screen are pending and may take as much as three weeks.

"The incident is still under investigation as we interview people and cover all the bases," Roland said.

The incident raises more questions than the sheriff had answers.

"Because of the on-going investigation, I will give no information that is unsubstantiated by fact," he said.

Roland said the state licensing people suspended the camp's license, temporarily closing the camp. "The camp will be closed no more than three weeks," he said, although he indicated the camp may reopen before the investigation is complete.

Editor's note: Camp officials contacted for this story referred questions to the sheriff's department.