By Khalida Sarwari
A 41-year-old Monterey woman whose body was discovered Thursday morning in Los Padres National Forest was the daughter of local celebrity chef John Pisto, according to a Monterey County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
Tawni Neikirk’s body was found on a private rural road off near the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy at about 10:50 a.m., sheriff’s Cmdr. Mike Richards said.
Richards said Neikirk’s Mini Cooper and other items were found near her body.
He said no foul play is suspected. An autopsy will be conducted this afternoon to determine Neikirk’s cause of death.
She was reported missing last Saturday by her fiance.
Pisto is the owner of The Whaling Station restaurant in Monterey, and host of “Monterey’s Cooking” on the Comcast Cable Network.