Two sisters and a teenage son who told family last year they would live “off the grid” died of hypothermia and malnutrition as they endured the elements in the Colorado wilderness, according to newly released autopsy reports.
Christine Vance, 41, Rebecca Vance, 42, and Rebecca’s 14-year-old son were identified in July after three “partially mummified” bodies were discovered in a remote campsite in the Gunnison National Forest.
The 14-year-old, who was not named publicly because of his age, weighed just 40 pounds, the Gunnison County Coroner’s office autopsy said, which was first reported by The Colorado Sun. The average weight of a boy his age is 112 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Loved ones of the family said they were surprised the sisters would choose to forgo modern conveniences, but said Rebecca Vance had grown increasingly fearful of society after the Covid pandemic.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around why they chose to go,” stepsister Trevala Jara said in July. “It’s hard for me.”
Jara said none of them were known to be skilled in the outdoors.
Gunnison County coroner Michael Barnes previously speculated that the cause of death may have been related to exposure to cold weather and malnutrition.
Dental records and fingerprints were used to help identify the bodies.