According to the family, a Colorado family whose partially mummified bones were found at a secluded campsite was attempting to live off the grid and get away from civilization.
Sisters Christine Vance, 41, and Rebecca Vance, 42, as well as Rebecca’s son, 14, were found dead, according to the authorities. According to Michael Barnes, the Gunnison County coroner, the bodies were discovered in and around a tent close to a campsite in the Gunnison National Forest about 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) from Ohio City, Colorado.
Trevala Jara, the stepsister of the woman, told the reporters that the family traveled to the wilderness last summer in an effort to be away from society. The sisters had only read about survival online and viewed YouTube videos, they had no prior experience.
“We tried to stop them,” Jara said to the Gazette. “But they were unreceptive. Their decisions had been made.”
Earlier this month, a hiker discovered the remains after noticing a body outside the family’s tent. Deputies started looking around the area to try to identify the bodies after discovering two more inside. The group may have subsisted on canned goods because authorities discovered empty food cans, books, and a bathroom facility at the campground, according to Barnes.
Their bodies displayed malnutrition-related symptoms. According to Barnes, investigators have not yet identified a cause of death and are awaiting the processing of toxicology findings, but they believe the group may have died of malnutrition, exposure to subfreezing conditions, or carbon monoxide poisoning from trying to light a fire to remain warm.
The remains were found at a campsite, but police did not discover any vehicles or weapons there. Barnes told the Colorado Sun that the family’s demise was probably caused by “exposure to the elements” and a particularly hard winter.
Barnes remarked, “This winter was particularly severe for us, as it always is here. We did have more snow this winter than we have in the previous two.”
The three likely began camping in the latter part of the summer and passed away somewhere in the winter.
The tweet below confirms the news:
βWe tried to stop themβ: US family found dead in forest wanted to live off grid https://t.co/pJefhK7S3s
— The Guardian (@guardian) July 27, 2023
He said it looked like they had started but not finished constructing a “lean-to” style shelter by the time the harsh winter of the previous year got underway.
Barnes mused, “I wonder if winter came on suddenly and they were just in survival mode in the tent.” They carried a lot of literature on foraging, outdoor survival, and other topics of that nature. But it appeared that they got their supplies from a grocery store.
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The sisters were concerned about the state of the world, and Rebecca’s worries were made worse by the pandemic, according to Jara, a family relative.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Jara remarked of her sister, “The fear overwhelmed her, most definitely.”
In order to prevent the sister and nephew from being alone, Christine Vance eventually joined them, Jara told the newspaper. She claimed that although her sisters were unprepared, they were not “crazy” and believed what they were doing was correct.
Before going off the grid, Jara said, “You need years of practice.” They viewed a few YouTube videos, but doing it yourself without any prior knowledge is entirely different.
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