Body found at Camp Hero State Park identified as New York City woman

A body found at Montauk Point East Overlook in Camp Hero State Park has been identified as Lauren Balik, 35, of New York City, placing an active death investigation at one of Suffolk County’s most familiar East End destinations. New York State Police said the call came in at about 1:42 p.m. on June 11, 2026, and that the New York State Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to the scene.

State police said investigators located the remains and later identified the deceased as Balik. The investigation is still ongoing, and police have not released a cause or manner of death. At this stage, the confirmed details are the location, the time of the discovery, and the identity of the person found.

The setting gives the case unusual weight in Montauk. Camp Hero State Park covers 415 acres and includes wooded areas, Atlantic beachfront, maritime forests, freshwater wetlands, and dramatic bluffs. The park also has an extensive trail system for hiking, biking and horseback riding, along with a former military base that is registered as a National Historic Site. A New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation trail map for Montauk Point and Camp Hero marks an unnamed trail at 2.8 miles and tells visitors to report any accident or incident immediately to park police.

That combination has sharpened concern among people who use the park regularly and among residents who know how heavily trafficked the Montauk trail network can be, especially near the ocean-facing overlooks. News reports after the police release said there was no immediate indication of a threat to the public, but state police have not announced any conclusion about whether the death was accidental, natural or criminal.

The latest case also lands in a community still mindful of another high-profile unresolved death investigation in Montauk last year, a reminder that unusual incidents at the far eastern end of Long Island can quickly draw sustained attention. For now, the public record is limited, but the case remains open and the focus stays on Camp Hero, the East Overlook trail area, and whatever additional information detectives release next.