Coroner shares likely ’cause-of-death’ in case of three dead Colorado campers
On Wednesday morning, news broke that three heavily-decomposed bodies were found at a remote campground near Gunnison in recent days.
A hiker found a first body near Gold Creek Campground on July 9, with law enforcement finding two more upon their investigation of the scene the following morning.
Gunnison County Undersheriff Josh Ashe described the campsite where the bodies were found as particularly developed, expressing his suspicion that it could have been being used for long-term off-grid living.
Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes has since added to that description, providing additional detail regarding when the three may have gotten there, what their plans were, and what likely killed them.
According to Barnes, it appears as if the three had started a stint of camping in mid-to-late July of 2022. Evidence at the site suggested that the campers had plans to live at the spot permanently, which meant staying there through harsh winter months.
With snowfall particularly heavy and low temperatures abundant during the start of 2023, this would have been difficult and dangerous.
While the official cause-of-death hasn’t been released, the coroner suspects that the three died from malnutrition and/or exposure at some point over winter.
Foul play is still not expected to be a factor in the case at this time.
As of Wednesday night, the coroner was still in the process of confirming the identity of the three individuals.
Condolences go out to those impacted by these tragic deaths.
Gold Creek Campground, found on Gunnison County Road 771, is currently listed on the US Forest Service website as “closed due to inaccessibility.” It’s located next to the southeastern boundary of the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Area, near Fairview Peak and Fossil Ridge in Gunnison National Forest.
While it’s mostly small towns and rural development in the immediate vicinity of Gold Creek Campground, the City of Gunnison is approximately 20 miles southwest of the site.
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Coroner shares likely ’cause-of-death’ in case of three dead Colorado campers
Gunnison County’s coroner has provided some additional information about the badly decomposing bodies of three people were found in a remote Rocky Mountains camp in Colorado.
A hiker found a first body near Gold Creek Campground on July 9, with law enforcement finding two more upon their investigation of the scene the following morning.
Gunnison County Undersheriff Josh Ashe described the campsite where the bodies were found as particularly developed, expressing his suspicion that it could have been being used for long-term off-grid living.
Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes has since added to that description, providing additional detail regarding when the three may have gotten there, what their plans were, and what likely killed them.
According to Barnes, it appears as if the three had started camping in mid-to-late July of 2022. Evidence at the site suggested that the campers had plans to live at the spot permanently, staying there through harsh winter months.
The start of 2023 saw particularly heavy snowfall and low temperatures in the region.
While the official cause-of-death hasn’t been released, the coroner said they suspect the three died from malnutrition and/or exposure at some point over winter.
Foul play is still not suspected at this time.
As of Wednesday night, the coroner was still confirming the identity of the three individuals.
Gold Creek Campground, found on Gunnison County Road 771, is currently listed on the US Forest Service website as “closed due to inaccessibility.” It’s located next to the southeastern boundary of the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Area, near Fairview Peak and Fossil Ridge in Gunnison National Forest.
There are some small towns and rural development in the immediate vicinity of Gold Creek Campground, and the city of Gunnison is approximately 20 miles southwest of the site.
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Coroner shares likely 'cause-of-death' in case of three dead Colorado campers
On Wednesday morning, news broke that three heavily-decomposed bodies were found at a remote campground near Gunnison in recent days. A hiker found a first body near Gold Creek Campground on July 9, with law enforcement finding two more upon their investigation of the scene the following morning. Gunnison County Undersheriff Josh Ashe described the […]
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