Cause of Death Revealed for College Freshman, 18, Last Seen Leaving Her Dorm — and Then Found in Rural Area

College student Megan Trussell's origin of decease has been wished astir 4 months aft her assemblage was found successful a agrarian portion of Boulder, Colo. — and arsenic her family says they person their ain questions astir what really happened.

The 18-year-old died by termination "as nan consequence of nan toxic effects of amphetamine," nan Boulder County Sheriff's Office and Boulder County Coroner’s Office said successful a associated connection connected Tuesday, May 27.

Hypothermia was besides a contributing factor.

"Our sentiment was based connected respective factors including but not constricted to toxicology results and nan beingness of undigested medicine medication recovered during nan examination," Boulder County Coroner Jeff Martin said.

Trussell was past seen successful her residence hallway astatine nan University of Colorado Boulder precocious connected Feb. 9 and was reported missing connected Feb. 12.

Three days later, nan university's constabulary and nan Boulder County Sheriff's Office stated that a assemblage matching Trussell's explanation was recovered successful a "hard-to-reach terrain" located extracurricular nan city, "requiring a method removal including nan request to rappel."

The sheriff's agency said connected Feb. 18 that it "does not judge that location is, aliases was, a threat to nan community" based connected nan investigation into Trussell's death, though astatine nan clip a origin of decease was still undetermined.

“We understand this investigation took longer than galore hoped,” nan Boulder County sheriff, Curtis Johnson, said successful a connection this week.

“This result is heartbreaking, and our dream is that nan findings whitethorn bring immoderate closure to Megan’s loved ones and to nan broader community," Johnson continued. "Our agency typically refrains from releasing elaborate accusation successful termination cases retired of respect for nan family and to forestall further harm, but we are sharing further specifications owed to nan wide nationalist concern.”

The sheriff's agency and coroner said connected Tuesday that Trussell near her dorm astir 9:30 p.m. section clip nan past time she was seen and her telephone was traced to adjacent wherever her assemblage was yet recovered days later.

Both Trussell's telephone and purse were subsequently located arsenic portion of nan investigation.

"Based connected nan broad investigation and forensic findings from nan Coroner’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, arsenic good arsenic a reappraisal by nan District Attorney’s Office, we person recovered nary grounds to propose that Megan was physically harmed aliases killed by different person," authorities said connected Tuesday.

Trussell's family previously gathered connected Feb. 17 for a memorial adjacent wherever her assemblage was found.

At nan time, Trussell's father, Joe Trussell, thanked nan Boulder organization for its ongoing support and pushed for answers.

"The outpouring of emotion ... has conscionable been overwhelming. We admit you much than you know," he said. "It's a unspeakable point that's happened, but nan champion measurement we tin grant her is to get better, to find retired what happened."

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A GoFundMe was established by Trussell's relative Rebecca Perez connected Feb. 14, initially aimed astatine raising money to thief pinch hunt efforts. Its intent later shifted to memorial costs and "to advocator for Megan’s justice."

It has garnered much than $70,000. "Your generosity will powerfulness our backstage laboratory analyses and proceed ineligible advocacy; bringing america 1 measurement person to nan truth," organizers wrote.

They antecedently shared their acknowledgment for nan ongoing contributions arsenic "a root of spot during a difficult time," writing: "We will ever cherish nan memories of Megan's vibrant tone and nan emotion she shared pinch us."

If you aliases personification you cognize is struggling pinch intelligence wellness challenges, affectional distress, constituent usage problems, aliases conscionable needs to talk, telephone aliases matter 988, aliases chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.