'Mummified' Bodies Found in Remote Colorado IDed as Survivalists
The three decomposed, mummified bodies that were discovered at a remote campsite in Colorado's Rocky Mountains earlier this month were two adult sisters and a teenage boy, authorities said on Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Christine Vance, 41, Rebecca Vance, 42, and Rebecca’s 14-year-old son, who has not been named because he is a minor. All three were from Colorado Springs.
A hiker found the three bodies on July 9 about 350 yards from Gold Creek Campground and 6.5 miles away from the nearest town of Ohio City. The unusual circumstances surrounding the deaths drew national attention, as two of the bodies were discovered inside a small, zipped-up tent and a third outside at the campsite. No foul play had been suspected and the deaths were not consistent with a wild animal attack.
The bodies were described by investigators as "fairly mummified" and had likely been at the campsite since at least late last year.
Family members have since told authorities that the three began camping around July of last year and had been planning to live "off the grid." Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes said that empty food cans, books, and a restroom area were found at the campsite, as well as a partially constructed lean-to shelter built from logs over a fire pit that had likely not been completed before the harsh winter set in.
"I wonder if winter came on quickly and suddenly they were just in survival mode in the tent,” Barnes said in an interview. “They had a lot of literature with them about outdoor survival and foraging and stuff like that. But it looked like they supplied at a grocery store."
Though an official cause of death has yet to be determined while authorities wait for toxicology reports to be processed, the bodies showed signs of malnourishment. As such, authorities believe that the group may have succumbed to starvation, freezing temperatures, or carbon monoxide poisoning from making a fire to stay warm.
Likewise, no firearms or vehicles were found at the scene. If a winter storm or freezing temperatures did in fact suddenly occur, it's likely that the three would have been trapped at the campsite with no means to escape, and no help located nearby.