SOUTH PORTLAND – A woman’s decomposed body was found Sunday about 50 feet off Interstate 295, authorities said.

“We think the body has been there for the winter,” said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.

Fishermen found the body at 10:30 a.m. near Clarks Pond in the Maine Mall area, and a purse found nearby contained identification of a Virginia woman who has been missing since December, McCausland said.

There were no outward signs of foul play and an autopsy will be conducted today to determine cause of death, he said.

Investigators planned to seek dental records to confirm the woman’s identity.