The Mariposa County Sheriff has ruled out two potential causes of death as they continue to investigatea family of three who were mysteriously found deadwith their dog during a hiking trip last week.
Since the discovery, authorities have struggled to explain the cause of the tragedy. But on Thursday, the sheriff’s office officially ruled out two causes: exposure to chemicals along the trail the family were on, and use of a gun or another deadly weapon.
“We know the family and friends of John and Ellen are desperate for answers, our team of detectives are working round the clock,” Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a statement sent to PEOPLE that announced the findings.
John Gerrish, Ellen Chung.Courtesy Steven Jeffe
“Cases like this require us to be methodical and thorough while also reaching out to every resource we can find to help us bring those answers to them as quickly as we can,” Briese continued.
In the statement, the officer said toxicology labs were conducting tests on the family and their dog. Samples of water found around the trail area and of water the family had with them were sent to both the State Water board and independent labs for testing.
“As of the date of this update cause of death remains a question,” the sheriff’s office said. “Detectives continue conducting interviews and investigating all potential possible explanations for the death of the Gerrish / Chung family.”
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In recent days, the office has sent the family’s cell phones to the FBI for data extraction and has requested search warrants for possible social media access.
During the pandemic, Gerrish and Chung had moved about 160 miles from their home in San Francisco to Central California, family friend Steve Jeffe toldTheFresno Bee.
A family friend said Gerrish was originally from England, while Chung worked as a yoga instructor before becoming pregnant with their daughter, theMerced Sun-Starpreviously reported.
source: people.com
