Horseshoe Bay woman’s death in 2017 ruled ‘accidental drowning’
FROM STAFF REPORTS
HORSESHOE BAY — The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the October 2017 death of a 61-year-old Horseshoe Bay woman “an accidental drowning,” according to officials.
On Oct. 22, 2017, Horseshoe Bay police responded to a call about an unresponsive woman at a residence in the 200 block of La Serena Loop. Officers found the body of Sherry Kay Lesley in her bathtub. Investigators found no indication of a struggle, and “investigative leads did not reveal the involvement of any criminal act,” according to a release by Horseshoe Bay Police Chief Rocky Wardlow.
After conducting an investigation at the scene, officers believed the evidence and a witness interview indicated Lesley returned from a day trip to Lubbock followed by an evening social event and decided to take a hot bath in the early morning hours of Oct. 22, the release stated.
The woman’s husband told police he found her in the tub after he woke up later that morning.
Llano County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Linda Ballard ordered an autopsy.
The medical examiner’s office, based on the autopsy and toxicology report, ruled Lesley’s death an accidental drowning, and Horseshoe Bay investigators didn’t find anything during their investigation that contradicted those findings.
“The investigation revealed a variety of reasons, which include alcohol intoxication, fatigue, and hot water, working in combination with one another, was the basis that led to her drowning,” Wardlow’s release stated.
Lesley was a well-respected businesswoman. She established Rag Doll, a boutique, in Lubbock. When she moved to Horseshoe Bay in 1996, she continued her business endeavors. She opened Rag Doll in Marble Falls then went on to establish GG Ganache, a furniture and home accessories store.