Latest news with #BoulderCountyCoroner'sOffice
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man who died in Stone Canyon fire identified, fire's origin determined: BCSO
DENVER (KDVR) — The Boulder County Coroner's Office has circumstantially identified the remains of the man who died in the 2024 Stone Canyon Fire, and investigators have determined where the fire originated. The fire burned nearly 1,600 acres last summer in July and August near the town of Lyons in Boulder County and resulted in one person's death. That person was found in a home at 2602 Eagle Ridge Road and has been identified as 74-year-old Kevin James Tracy, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said in a press release Tuesday afternoon. Stone Canyon Fire: 100% contained, evacuations lifted The sheriff's office in September said they received reports of a missing 74-year-old male, who lived in one of the homes that was destroyed by the fire. At the time, the coroner could not identify Tracy as the body found due to the condition of the remains. The coroner made the identification after DNA analysis attempts failed. It was based on circumstantial evidence from local law enforcement, the decedent's family, area retailers, financial institutions and the U.S. government, according to the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office also said the fire originated at the residence in which Tracy was found, either in the home or around the outside of it. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox 'The investigation into the wildland fire determined the fire originated from the residence on Eagle Ridge Road, where the fatality occurred, and then spread to surrounding trees, brush, and wildland,' the sheriff's office said. 'The structure fire investigation determined the fire originated inside or around the exterior of the residence or the adjacent shed.' The sheriff's office said, however, the cause of the fire is still unknown, though investigators did rule out lightning as a cause. The wildland fire investigation was conducted by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control's Fire Investigations Branch, and the structure fire investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the sheriff's office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
17-02-2025
- The Independent
Body found during search for missing college student Megan Trussell
The body of missing college student Megan Trussell has been found in a precarious woodland, in a 'hard-to-reach' spot, police in Colorado believe. Trussell, 18, a freshman at the University of Colorado in Boulder, was last seen on the evening of February 9 on surveillance video close to her college dorms. Her mother, Vanessa Diaz, later said she'd been on her way to her sister's apartment in the city but 'didn't go there [and] she never arrived.' Now, police revealed that the believe they have located her body above Boulder Canyon Drive Saturday, in a rural patch off of Highway 119 – just a 20-minute drive from the college campus. Boulder County Sheriff's Office authorities revealed that at 10:41 a.m. Saturday, they received a call from Boulder park rangers regarding the discovery of a deceased female. When police arrived they confirmed the body matched Trussell's description. The girl's body was said to have been recovered from a 'hard-to-reach' spot that required 'a technical evacuation including the need to rappel.' Officials also shared that the search terrain had been challenging due to hazardous road conditions created by the weather. Her identity, cause, and manner of death, are yet to be confirmed by the Boulder County Coroner's Office. A family friend of the Trussells, Judy Brocato, told Denver7 that earlier on Saturday, Megan's phone had last pinged in the canyon twice, one at around 10:45 p.m., and another at 11:55 p.m. the day she vanished. Investigators believe her phone remained there throughout the week. On the night she went missing, the 18-year-old had been wearing 'big white platform sneakers.', shared Brocato. "It is very perplexing how she just seems to have disappeared. It doesn't make sense. So, we're just trying to piece that together", she said. Police decided to enforce a shutdown of the highway while a search was underway from around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, along with the 2.6-mile Boulder Canyon Trail – both reopened shortly after 4 p.m., according to the Boulder County Parks & Open Space Rangers. Multiple law enforcement agencies including the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, the FBI, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation were involved in the search effort. A vigil for Trussell will be held a short distance from where the discovery was made will be held on Tuesday, her family has said. 'This will be a time for reflection, sharing memories, and honoring her legacy. We welcome anyone who wishes to pay their respects', Diaz wrote. A close family friend mourned the loss of Trussell, calling her by the nickname 'Megan-cita' and describing how she'd watched the 18-year-old cradle her children when they were just infants and praised her guitar-playing skills and ability to speak Spanish. 'I can't believe she's gone. The tragedy of such a young woman with her life in front of her breaks my heart', shared the friend. The Independent contacted the coroner for an update.
