A recent autopsy report from the Gunnison County Coroner’s Office disclosed the sad outcome for a mother, her teenage son, and the mother’s sister, who decided to live in the wilderness of Colorado. Their causes of death were malnutrition and hypothermia.
On July 9, a passerby hiker came across the body of the 14-year-old boy close to Gold Creek Campground. Notably, at his time of death, the boy weighed a mere 40 pounds, falling considerably short of the CDC’s average weight standards for his age group.
The discovery prompted further investigations, which subsequently uncovered the bodies of the boy’s mother, Rebecca Vance, aged 42, and his aunt, Christine Vance, 41. Their campsite was situated remotely, over a hundred miles from their original residence in Colorado Springs. Notably, the area contained several empty food containers and wilderness survival guides, but no actual edible food or sources of heat.
Trevala Jara, a relative to the Vance sisters, shed light on the situation. The boy, who was 13 when they started this venture, had reservations but chose to support his mother. The mother, Rebecca Vance, although not accustomed to wilderness life, was the main advocate for this off-grid lifestyle. She even convinced her younger sister to accompany them, despite family concerns. Their planning and preparation mainly came from wilderness survival videos they watched on YouTube.
The family was last seen in October and had been missing since. Their last communication indicated their inadequate knowledge about the severe winter climate of Colorado. Autopsy results point to their deaths occurring in the previous winter. They were all found wearing multiple clothing layers, each adorned with a cross pendant.
The tough environmental conditions they encountered, characterized by heavy snow and freezing temperatures, showcased the daunting challenges they faced.