CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #4

[RedHaus]

This (photo) is a legal dope grow which I'm not happy about because it's next to property I own. Growing dope in California is not a big deal anymore, as long as you comply with the regulations. It is associated with crime, but not with bodies that have no signs of violence. But do entertain yourselves, I'm only interested in the truth, which is often admittedly prosaic and not entertaining.

Well, @Lex Parsimoniae, I do think these crime-in-Mariposa stories are true. The question then is whether they are parallel or interesecting truths with the JG/EC case. I just don't know. But these data get my attention.

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

Pardon me, but do you really believe they intended to do the loop?
There's not a single hiking app popular or not, that covers the SL trail.
How did they learn about this trail and felt confident enough to try with their baby and dog?

They did 7 of the 8.5 miles, taking the 3 different trails necessary to complete the loop. That wasn't easy to navigate. The logical explanation is they knew where they intended to go. Not sure what a "hiking app" is, I'm old, so I use an old-fashioned browser and search engine to find what I'm looking for. In a couple of seconds I found this article, at the top is a map that shows all the trails they took. How they learned of it, I have no way of knowing, but they do live there, commonly hikers learn from other hikers in their area about the local hikes. In any case, they WERE found on it, so they DID find it, and they DID take their baby and dog. MOO. Below is a gratuitous photo from one of my hikes on the local coast. It can only be done on a couple of days each year, when the tide is extremely low, and has to be timed perfectly, or you get trapped by the rising tide. It involves a lot of wading, there isn't a trail except on the ends. Few people know about it, and you won't find it on any hiking app. You don't accidentally do this hike either. Enjoy.

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

Well, @Lex Parsimoniae, I do think these The question then is whether they are parallel or interesecting truths with the JG/EC case. I just don't know. But these data get my attention.

I don't doubt that the crime-in-Mariposa stories are true, but I don't see any connection to the JG/EC case. If you're really interested in Mariposa crime which has a very tenuous connection to this case, you can't go wrong with (DON'T read this if you're squeamish!) the Yosemite Killer. Four deaths. It's almost the same. Connected to this case? You be the judge.

 

[Pumphouse363]

But the order closing the area only lasted until September 17. They should have issued a statement officially ruling out toxic algae, since they opened the area back up and it is presumably safe to do so. Public safety triggers the Bureau of Land Management to issue an emergency closure of public lands in Mariposa County | Bureau of Land Management

“Today, the Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office issued an Emergency Closure Order for all BLM-managed public lands along the Merced River, between Briceburg and Bagby, in Mariposa County. The temporary closure, in response to the presence of toxic algal blooms in the Merced River, will remain in effect until Sept. 17.”

MOO - what if Jon and Ellen had decided to take a short hike in the early morning of Sunday to try the new backpack they’d bought for Miju. They knew the weather was going to be hot so and would make sure they were back before temperatures became unbearable. Somewhere along the way up to the HC trail they encountered something/someone that caused them to be too afraid to go back the way they came so they were forced to continue along a road they never intended to take. Consequently they succumbed to exhaustion and heatstroke because they were unprepared for the long hike they had never intended to take. This would go some way to explain why they would behave in such an unexpected manner.
Perhaps the trails in the area have been closed to determine if that was the case?
I have read on the Mariposa Sheriff’s FB page there is a lot of illegal activity relating to drugs around Mariposa and throughout many states in the US.

 

[Pumphouse363]

They did 7 of the 8.5 miles, taking the 3 different trails necessary to complete the loop. That wasn't easy to navigate. The logical explanation is they knew where they intended to go. Not sure what a "hiking app" is, I'm old, so I use an old-fashioned browser and search engine to find what I'm looking for. In a couple of seconds I found this article, at the top is a map that shows all the trails they took. How they learned of it, I have no way of knowing, but they do live there, commonly hikers learn from other hikers in their area about the local hikes. In any case, they WERE found on it, so they DID find it, and they DID take their baby and dog. MOO. Below is a gratuitous photo from one of my hikes on the local coast. It can only be done on a couple of days each year, when the tide is extremely low, and has to be timed perfectly, or you get trapped by the rising tide. It involves a lot of wading, there isn't a trail except on the ends. Few people know about it, and you won't find it on any hiking app. You don't accidentally do this hike either. Enjoy.

MOO - what if Jon and Ellen had decided to take a short hike in the early morning of Sunday to try the new backpack they’d bought for Miju. They knew the weather was going to be hot so and would make sure they were back before temperatures became unbearable. Somewhere along the way up to the HC trail they encountered something/someone that caused them to be too afraid to go back the way they came so they were forced to continue along a road they never intended to take. Consequently they succumbed to exhaustion and heatstroke because they were unprepared for the long hike they had never intended to take. This would go some way to explain why they would behave in such an unexpected manner.
Perhaps the trails in the area have been closed to determine if that was the case?
I have read on the Mariposa Sheriff’s FB page there is a lot of illegal activity relating to drugs around Mariposa and throughout many states in the US.

 

[investikater]

how long now until the toxicology results will be in and the full autopsy report can be done?

 

[Pumphouse363]

how long now until the toxicology results will be in and the full autopsy report can be done?

I think it will be very soon now. MOO

 

[Pumphouse363]

I think @Pumphouse363 that they may have been in the museum the previous weekend to when they set off on their hike. I have scrolled back and found @annpats referring to their museum visit in Thread 2.

You mentioned the backpack/baby carrier as well and two major American newspapers refer to it at the very beginning when the story broke.

I think those papers were/are the Washington Post and the SF Chronicle. These articles are referred to in the earlier threads. From what I saw, in the articles, they linked to Ellen's IG a/c but her IG account has been down now I believe. All you see (within the article) is a broken IG link.

I am guessing that you are very close to their families and friends. I am incredibly sorry for your loss. You must be grieving them greatly. I can understand that you must be seeing them everywhere hence your reference to 'seeing them' in the FT wealth article.

This link may have been posted already: Did algae bloom kill family hiking in Mariposa County? Authorities checking all possibilities in mysterious deaths

It gives more detail about Jonathan and Ellen. It shows how well regarded they were as a family. It also emphasizes how generous Jonathan was to everyone. He wanted to share his good luck in life with those he encountered.

I am sure that the local LE/police will do everything that they can to solve what happened to this lovely family.

Thank you for your kind response. Ellen’s IG page is still available to access in the U.K. but no pic of backpack. You’re right though, I am seeing Jon, Ellen snd Miju everywhere. It’s just so unbelievable that this has happened to such lovely people. I have read so much online (good and bad) searching for answers but I’m still not convinced they planned that route for that day. I think something spooked them into going that way - a Catch22 scenario MOO

 

[Pumphouse363]

Post #679, T#3, by @EndoraXplorer is a story I am not sure we all caught.

But I think it is important enough to repeat for possible context of:

a) the serious and recent criminal activity in Mariposa County, and
b) how full the Mariposa County Sheriff Office's plates may be and why there may be a delay in findings for the JG/EC case.​

This is a story about a major crime bust in Mariposa County less than one week before the JG/EC family disappeared.

The story is reported by Sheriff Briese in his 9/2/2021 monthly "Inside the Office" video, at the 9:53 mark (see below). I have found no MSM coverage to date.

Here are the facts Sheriff Briese stated:

• This operation occurred August 9-10/2021 by the Sheriff's Office and allied resources and individuals
• It was one of the largest marijuana operations in Mariposa that the Sheriff's office has ever conducted
• They confiscated 38,272 marijuana plants
• They arrested 14 people and took 12 guns
• They found meth and cocaine
• They found child endangerment and animal cruelty...
• and more, including "environmental crimes."

BBM

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Video link credit in original post: @Lexiintoronto

ETA: date of video in post text

Post #679, T#3, by @EndoraXplorer is a story I am not sure we all caught.

But I think it is important enough to repeat for possible context of:

a) the serious and recent criminal activity in Mariposa County, and
b) how full the Mariposa County Sheriff Office's plates may be and why there may be a delay in findings for the JG/EC case.​

This is a story about a major crime bust in Mariposa County less than one week before the JG/EC family disappeared.

The story is reported by Sheriff Briese in his 9/2/2021 monthly "Inside the Office" video, at the 9:53 mark (see below). I have found no MSM coverage to date.

Here are the facts Sheriff Briese stated:

• This operation occurred August 9-10/2021 by the Sheriff's Office and allied resources and individuals
• It was one of the largest marijuana operations in Mariposa that the Sheriff's office has ever conducted
• They confiscated 38,272 marijuana plants
• They arrested 14 people and took 12 guns
• They found meth and cocaine
• They found child endangerment and animal cruelty...
• and more, including "environmental crimes."

BBM

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Video link credit in original post: @Lexiintoronto

ETA: date of video in post text

This is one of the reasons I think Jon and Ellen may have encountered something/someone and were forced to take the difficult trail in order to avoid it/them. Unfortunately the heat was too much for them all.

 

[lotus777]

MOO - what if Jon and Ellen had decided to take a short hike in the early morning of Sunday to try the new backpack they’d bought for Miju. They knew the weather was going to be hot so and would make sure they were back before temperatures became unbearable. Somewhere along the way up to the HC trail they encountered something/someone that caused them to be too afraid to go back the way they came so they were forced to continue along a road they never intended to take. Consequently they succumbed to exhaustion and heatstroke because they were unprepared for the long hike they had never intended to take. This would go some way to explain why they would behave in such an unexpected manner.
Perhaps the trails in the area have been closed to determine if that was the case?
I have read on the Mariposa Sheriff’s FB page there is a lot of illegal activity relating to drugs around Mariposa and throughout many states in the US.

This is a plausible theory I haven't seen mentioned before...

 

[RedHaus]

This is one of the reasons I think Jon and Ellen may have encountered something/someone and were forced to take the difficult trail in order to avoid it/them. Unfortunately the heat was too much for them all.

Like @lotus777, I agree this is a plausible scenario @Pumphouse363. And I do think it has been postulated here before... ranging from a mountain lion they may have encountered on HC trail forcing them to retreat down SL trail to 'safety', or even a hostile human (wit illegal grow ops) they wanted to avoid or forced them down SL. But it is still hard to reason why they would have gone so far down the SL trail (nearly 2/3s of the way IIRC). Unless they were desperately trying to get to the river to cool off.

 

[RedHaus]

Without more info from LE re: foot / paw print findings in the area the family was found, us amateur sleuthers may continue to spin around the question: Will LE's initial suspicion the family did most of the full loop (HC to SL trails) before they died, hold up as their investigation advances?

So I continue to ponder not only why the family may have been on SL trail, but also, in what direction and how far they got? In fact, I have a new idea to share that could explain where each of the group was found, perhaps flipping at least one of our assumptions on its head. The following is just IMO.

*********************************************************
From the TBI clinical information posted here, especially as it relates to possible heat sensitivity and neurologic impacts, I now wonder if EC succumbed first. Maybe the plan was for the family to trek down the SL trail to the river for a swim and picnic as some have previously postulated. Or as revisited recently, forced to flee to 'safety'.

Soon after they started (~15 minutes), the dog started to exhibit symptoms of heat crisis, including paws over heating, panting and stalling, per veterinary information shared with us here. JG who was carrying the baby, gives the baby to EC and from there he carries the dog. Their goal is still to get to the river, now with more urgency.

But EC collapses on the way down the SL trail possibly from carrying the baby which exacerbated her likely vulnerability to heat (wit her TBI history).

Perhaps then JG also notices then that the baby is showing signs of heat stroke (another very vulnerable family member and based on earlier ideas here that JG and EC could have mistakenly thought their baby was sleeping.) JG stays with EC and the baby trying to help them. But sadly, EC passes away from heatstroke in 30min.

Then JG, in his sudden state of grief and shock and possibly his own state of heat exhaustion, thinks the best thing to do is get the dog and baby down to the river quickly. JG carries the dog and baby for 30m until he collapses, puts the baby down in her carrier and secures the dog, and then he dies of heat stroke. The baby and dog follow.

*********************************************************
So the proposed flip of assumption in this scenario is that perhaps EC was found where she was because she died first. And the other three were where they were because JG was carrying the baby and dog trying desperately to get them to the river water to cool off. But he didn’t make it there.

And of course, while this theory rests squarely on heat stroke as the cause of death for all four, there could certainly have been extenuating circumstances as well... All IMO!

 

[Pumphouse363]

Without more info from LE re: foot / paw print findings in the area the family was found, us amateur sleuthers may continue to spin around the question: Will LE's initial suspicion the family did most of the full loop (HC to SL trails) before they died, hold up as their investigation advances?

So I continue to ponder not only why the family may have been on SL trail, but also, in what direction and how far they got? In fact, I have a new idea to share that could explain where each of the group was found, perhaps flipping at least one of our assumptions on its head. The following is just IMO.

*********************************************************
From the TBI clinical information posted here, especially as it relates to possible heat sensitivity and neurologic impacts, I now wonder if EC succumbed first. Maybe the plan was for the family to trek down the SL trail to the river for a swim and picnic as some have previously postulated. Or as revisited recently, forced to flee to 'safety'.

Soon after they started (~15 minutes), the dog started to exhibit symptoms of heat crisis, including paws over heating, panting and stalling, per veterinary information shared with us here. JG who was carrying the baby, gives the baby to EC and from there he carries the dog. Their goal is still to get to the river, now with more urgency.

But EC collapses on the way down the SL trail possibly from carrying the baby which exacerbated her likely vulnerability to heat (wit her TBI history).

Perhaps then JG also notices then that the baby is showing signs of heat stroke (another very vulnerable family member and based on earlier ideas here that JG and EC could have mistakenly thought their baby was sleeping.) JG stays with EC and the baby trying to help them. But sadly, EC passes away from heatstroke in 30min.

Then JG, in his sudden state of grief and shock and possibly his own state of heat exhaustion, thinks the best thing to do is get the dog and baby down to the river quickly. JG carries the dog and baby for 30m until he collapses, puts the baby down in her carrier and secures the dog, and then he dies of heat stroke. The baby and dog follow.

*********************************************************
So the proposed flip of assumption in this scenario is that perhaps EC was found where she was because she died first. And the other three were where they were because JG was carrying the baby and dog trying desperately to get them to the river water to cool off. But he didn’t make it there.

And of course, while this theory rests squarely on heat stroke as the cause of death for all four, there could certainly have been extenuating circumstances as well... All IMO!

This is an interesting possibility except for the fact that they didn’t set off down the SL trail - and most certainly would not have chosen to do so. MOO The reports are that their footprints led towards the HC trail. LE search and rescue only checked the SL trail when the backup team arrived in daylight. MOO Can you imagine looking down from the top of SL to the river at the bottom and even considering going further down? I feel sure if they’d only gone a mile and a half they would have returned to the vehicle - not continued on. MOO

 

[Pumphouse363]

They did 7 of the 8.5 miles, taking the 3 different trails necessary to complete the loop. That wasn't easy to navigate. The logical explanation is they knew where they intended to go. Not sure what a "hiking app" is, I'm old, so I use an old-fashioned browser and search engine to find what I'm looking for. In a couple of seconds I found this article, at the top is a map that shows all the trails they took. How they learned of it, I have no way of knowing, but they do live there, commonly hikers learn from other hikers in their area about the local hikes. In any case, they WERE found on it, so they DID find it, and they DID take their baby and dog. MOO. Below is a gratuitous photo from one of my hikes on the local coast. It can only be done on a couple of days each year, when the tide is extremely low, and has to be timed perfectly, or you get trapped by the rising tide. It involves a lot of wading, there isn't a trail except on the ends. Few people know about it, and you won't find it on any hiking app. You don't accidentally do this hike either. Enjoy.

I love reading your posts and hearing about your adventures. You clearly have a lot of experience snd knowledge. I notice in the photo you’ve posted here that there are no young children or animals. That’s the main sticking point for me on this whole tragedy. Jon and Ellen might take risks for themselves - I seriously doubt they would do so with their daughter or their dog. It’s just so hard to accept MOO

 

[Officer Dibble]

MOO - what if Jon and Ellen had decided to take a short hike in the early morning of Sunday to try the new backpack they’d bought for Miju. They knew the weather was going to be hot so and would make sure they were back before temperatures became unbearable. Somewhere along the way up to the HC trail they encountered something/someone that caused them to be too afraid to go back the way they came so they were forced to continue along a road they never intended to take. Consequently they succumbed to exhaustion and heatstroke because they were unprepared for the long hike they had never intended to take. This would go some way to explain why they would behave in such an unexpected manner.
Perhaps the trails in the area have been closed to determine if that was the case?
I have read on the Mariposa Sheriff’s FB page there is a lot of illegal activity relating to drugs around Mariposa and throughout many states in the US.

This is a very good point. JMO MOO

 

[Pumphouse363]

I think the single most important piece of evidence is the cell phone found in Jon’s pocket. I’m sure the family would be desperate to know if he or she was able to record anything - maybe a message or photograph that would give some indication of their intentions on that day. MOO

Well, @Lex Parsimoniae, I do think these crime-in-Mariposa stories are true. The question then is whether they are parallel or interesecting truths with the JG/EC case. I just don't know. But these data get my attention.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

@Pumphouse do you know if Jon's phone was iPhone or Android?

According to Google, even the FBI can't get into a locked iphone and Apple says they can't ( or won't) help. Android phones are easier to get into, I read, but not if they have security apps to encrypt them. I haven't followed this debate. Maybe another WSer can weigh in.

The FBI has asked Apple to help unlock the Florida gunman’s iPhones

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I think the single most important piece of evidence is the cell phone found in Jon’s pocket. I’m sure the family would be desperate to know if he or she was able to record anything - maybe a message or photograph that would give some indication of their intentions on that day. MOO

The last we heard, the FBI is working on the retrieving information from his phone. If this is ruled an accident or undetermined at some point the phone will be returned to Jonathan’s next of kin. They can then try to have the phone data extracted. I imagine his colleagues would have the resources to do so.

ETA: Very experienced hikers here have said they use paper maps to either plan or guide their hikes. When I venture out to new places in Nova Scotia I always take a paper map because of the poor cell service in some areas.

I’m guessing there’s a paper trail as well as an electronic one.

 

[Pumphouse363]

@Pumphouse do you know if Jon's phone was iPhone or Android?

According to Google, even the FBI can't get into a locked iphone and Apple says they can't ( or won't) help. Android phones are easier to get into, I read, but not if they have security apps to encrypt them. I haven't followed this debate. Maybe another WSer can weigh in.

The FBI has asked Apple to help unlock the Florida gunman’s iPhones

I have to say I’m not sure about the type of phone but I think the family will definitely attempt to access the contents if the FBI fail to do so. MOO

 

[Pumphouse363]

The last we heard, the FBI is working on the retrieving information from his phone. If this is ruled an accident or undetermined at some point the phone will be returned to Jonathan’s next of kin. They can then try to have the phone data extracted. I imagine his colleagues would have the resources to do so.

I think that may be the case. MOO