Body ID'd As St. Pete Woman

BROOKSVILLE - Her name is Dominique Lewis.

She's 20-years-old.

St. Petersburg is where she lived.

That's the extent of what the sheriff's office released on Thursday about the identity of a woman found dead Tuesday in north Hernando County.

Since the grim discovery by a CSX railroad worker, detectives have followed a trail of clues that led them to Lewis. Dental records and fingerprints confirmed their suspicions Thursday.

Signs of foul play on the body point to homicide, but investigators have not released any specifics about how she died.

An autopsy is pending at the medical examiner's office in Leesburg, which will provide toxicology results and more information about the cause of death.

Krizia Lawrence befriended Lewis during their studies at the Ultimate Medical Academy in Clearwater.

"She used to crack a lot of jokes," said Lawrence, who described her friend as a people person.

No one has heard from Lewis for the past two weeks or so. Lewis' family declined to comment.

The last time Lawrence saw her friend was after a night together hanging out with family.

She drove Lewis home and never heard from her again.

"She just stopped calling and that's not like her," Lawrence said.