4 days ago
Colorado senator raises concerns over investigation into death of University of Colorado Boulder student
Sen. Janice Marchman, who serves Colorado's 15th district, is questioning whether the investigation into the death of University of Colorado Boulder student Megan Trussell was handled properly.
CU Boulder
Trussell went missing from her residence hall on Feb. 9, prompting community members to search for her for days. The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks rangers notified law enforcement that they found Trussell's body near the 40-mile marker of Boulder Canyon one week later. After an investigation, the Boulder County Coroner ruled her death as a suicide. Her family said they plan to dispute the coroner's report.
Deputies find woman's body in Boulder Canyon
Boulder County Sheriff's Office
In a Facebook comment, Marchman claimed that Trussell did not take her own life and insisted she was murdered. She said "the entire investigation was botched from the beginning based on bias" and that she's afraid for the safety of the campus's students.
In a press release Thursday, Marchman said that, although she doesn't have authority over law enforcement or coroner's offices, she's looking for policy changes that could affect future cases. She reached out to Attorney General Phil Weiser to question how cases like Trussell's are handled and where state protocols could be improved.
Some points of concern she raised in the release are:
When and how the CBI gets involved in missing persons cases involving vulnerable individuals
What legal standards apply to determine a cause of death when circumstances are unclear
Possible improvements to communication between agencies, families and the community in high-stakes investigations
Marchman said she wants to facilitate faster coordination, clearer alerts, and better follow-up in cases like this.
