Cause of death still undetermined in case of family found dead in Mariposa County

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Thursday, August 26, 2021
Cause of death still undetermined in case of Mariposa Co. family found
The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office is still deep in its investigation into a local family found dead on a hiking trail earlier this month.

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office is still deep in its investigation into a local family found dead on a hiking trail earlier this month.

The family was reported missing last week, and search and rescue teams discovered the bodies of 45-year-old Jonathan Gerrish, 30-year-old Ellen Chung, one-year-old Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish and their dog.

On Thursday, sheriff's investigators released new information on the case.

Detectives still have not been able to determine a cause for the family's death. They say that based on evidence recovered by investigators, the family did not die by a "gun or other type of weapon" or from "chemical hazards along the Savage Lundy trail."

Sheriff's officials said, "all other potential causes of death remain."

RELATED: New details emerge about missing family found dead in Mariposa County

Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a news release, "We know the family and friends of John and Ellen are desperate for answers. Our team of Detectives is working round the clock. 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."

The Mariposa County Coroner's Office had completed the autopsies on all three victims and necropsy on the dog.

Toxicology results for the couple and dog were still pending. Detectives also sent water samples from the area where the victims were found and the water they were carrying for testing.

Sheriff's officials said it wasn't clear when those results would be available.

Authorities conducted searches of the family's cars and phones, and officials say "nothing significant was located."

Investigators planned to get search warrants to check the couple's social media accounts.