A WOMAN who was found dead in her car in a Clacton car park was found to have committed suicide.

Marie Natalie Piner, 36, of Meredith Road in Clacton, was reported missing by her family on December 8 last year.

She had driven away from her home before calling her friend and her daughter, telling them she had a large quantity of pills and intended to take them all.

Her disappearance sparked a major police manhunt.

She was found on December 12 in a car park off Marine Parade East and pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest into her death was held in Chelmsford on Wednesday.  

Essex assistant coroner Eleanor McGann ruled that the death was a suicide as a result of an overdose.

A toxicology report showed she had a huge amount of prescription drug Tramadol in her system.

Mrs McGann said: “She had a very high level of Tramadol in her system, much higher than would be required to kill somebody.

“Considering all the evidence I am satisfied that she intended to take her own life.”

Mrs Piner suffered with depression and had substantial amounts of treatment with the mental health services since moving to the area in 2007.