The body of a missing University of Colorado-Boulder student, Megan Trussell, is believed to have been found by Colorado authorities in a remote and difficult-to-access area. Trussell, 18, was last seen in her dormitory on Sunday, February 9, dressed in dark yoga pants, a blue-gray jacket, and white platform sneakers.
The University of Colorado Police Department (CUPD) received a notification from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office about the discovery of a deceased individual fitting Trussell’s description. The body was found near mile marker 40 in Boulder Canyon, according to a statement released by the university’s police department on Saturday. The CUPD is currently working to confirm additional details and will release more information as soon as it becomes available.
The Boulder County coroner is set to perform an autopsy to confirm the identity of the deceased and to determine the cause of death. The CUPD had received a missing persons report for Trussell on Wednesday, February 12.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to the presence of a deceased female by the Open Space and Mountain Parks rangers at around 10:40 a.m. on February 14. State and local agencies have been working together to investigate Trussell’s disappearance and now, potentially, her death.
The body was found in a challenging location, necessitating a technical evacuation that included rappelling, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office. The circumstances surrounding Trussell’s disappearance last week and what might have led her to Boulder Canyon Drive remain unclear.
Boulder Canyon Drive was temporarily shut down to allow authorities to safely recover the body and conduct an investigation in the area. This was due to hazardous road conditions created by the weather.