A 14-year-old boy, his mother, and aunt who were found dead at a Colorado campsite earlier this month possibly died from starvation.
Sisters Rebecca Vance, 42, Christine Vance, 41, and Rebecca Vance’s teen son were found deceased at a remote campsite in Gunnison County on July 9 and 10. All three bodies showed signs of decomposition, according to the Colorado Gazette.
The sisters’ stepsister, Trevala Jara, told the news outlet that the women revealed their plans to live off the grid last year. Rebecca and Christine Vance reportedly left for the campsite in early August, after dropping off possessions and saying goodbye.
Jara said the pair would not tell them where exactly they were going. She also claimed that her stepsisters and nephew had no survival experience.
“We tried to stop them. But they wouldn’t listen. Their minds were made up,” she said.
Officials have not publicly identified Rebecca Vance’s deceased son, as investigators work to locate his father and paternal grandmother.
Gunnison County coroner Michael Barnes told the Colorado Sun that the bodies were partially mummified, and he suspects the trio died from malnutrition or exposure to the elements during this past winter.
Jara told the Colorado Gazette that she was notified of their deaths on July 11, two days after the bodies were found.
Barnes, who took blood samples, said the three deaths remain under investigation. He also told the news outlet that he does not believe the Vances and the 14-year-old were ever reported missing.
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