CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #5

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  • #61
MHO but forensically, its a reasonable supposition that they were all exposed to something toxic. Most likely inhalation of some nasty toxin, and then had the heat and the climb out, as well. But they were in a really scary situation, whatever the combination of difficulties were. And I’ve been there too many times to blame them. (Thank you angels!)

But I have a real dissonance here between logic and intuition. Logic says heat/exertion/lightning/gases. MHO. But I agree with anaemia. My intuition is saying ‘people fear’. Actually wonder if they were followed to the carpark and down one of the tracks. (One post I gleaned out stated that their picnic basket was missing??) My actual experience of car parks in the wild, are that they’re places for minor criminal opportunity and sometimes worse.

And MHO but if they were poisoned by a synthetic aerosolised toxin, could it have been even more than a trip wire as others have suggested, but purposively delivered? It should be some compensation that they all died together. So why in MOO, does Jon, Miju and Oski being found lined up, side by side, feel wrong?
 
  • #62
Our current priorities remain supporting and informing the Gerrish (and) Chung family during this tragic time,” Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a news release. “As we navigate through this investigation with the family, we will later share our findings with the public.” I feel there’s a lot going on in the background. Moo
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article254655352.html#storylink=cpy; https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article254655352.html

I do think your interpretation makes sense @PerplexedPatty, IMO - that perhaps the Sheriff's Office has some findings on cause(s) and/or manner(s) of deaths in hand but of course are respectfully informing and processing the information with the Gerrish and Chung families before anything is made public.

That said, I also ponder @Parsnip's post #999 from T#4 (below), where I think he/she implies the Sheriff's Office is in charge of the investigation and public relations, but the pathologist is in charge of the autopsy and findings. Per this article from 8/26/2021: “The pathologist currently is issuing an autopsy finding of ‘pending toxicology,’” said Kristie Mitchell, spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article253770788.html

@Parsnip: "I’m not LE, but maybe they’re not being technical…just providing info in a way that the average reader (like me, apparently o_O) can understand. I.e., they’re not trying to sound like the ME; rather, they are just trying to answer questions that might be in people’s mind. Moo."
 
  • #63
MHO but forensically, its a reasonable supposition that they were all exposed to something toxic. Most likely inhalation of some nasty toxin, and then had the heat and the climb out, as well. But they were in a really scary situation, whatever the combination of difficulties were. And I’ve been there too many times to blame them. (Thank you angels!)

But I have a real dissonance here between logic and intuition. Logic says heat/exertion/lightning/gases. MHO. But I agree with anaemia. My intuition is saying ‘people fear’. Actually wonder if they were followed to the carpark and down one of the tracks. (One post I gleaned out stated that their picnic basket was missing??) My actual experience of car parks in the wild, are that they’re places for minor criminal opportunity and sometimes worse.

And MHO but if they were poisoned by a synthetic aerosolised toxin, could it have been even more than a trip wire as others have suggested, but purposively delivered? It should be some compensation that they all died together. So why in MOO, does Jon, Miju and Oski being found lined up, side by side, feel wrong?
 
  • #64
Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article254655352.html#storylink=cpy; https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article254655352.html

I do think your interpretation makes sense @PerplexedPatty, IMO - that perhaps the Sheriff's Office has some findings on cause(s) and/or manner(s) of deaths in hand but of course are respectfully informing and processing the information with the Gerrish and Chung families before anything is made public.

That said, I also ponder @Parsnip's post #999 from T#4 (below), where I think he/she implies the Sheriff's Office is in charge of the investigation and public relations, but the pathologist is in charge of the autopsy and findings. Per this article from 8/26/2021: “The pathologist currently is issuing an autopsy finding of ‘pending toxicology,’” said Kristie Mitchell, spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article253770788.html

@Parsnip: "I’m not LE, but maybe they’re not being technical…just providing info in a way that the average reader (like me, apparently o_O) can understand. I.e., they’re not trying to sound like the ME; rather, they are just trying to answer questions that might be in people’s mind. Moo."
And, it appears LE believe information obtained via interviews will somehow be helpful. Because of TOS we really must refrain from what might be discovered through interviews.
Moo
 
  • #65
Reviving some MSM from Thread 1 that may be of interest to those with questions about whether the family had any intention of going for a hike that Sunday:

From
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article253572954.html

It may be behind a paywall for some. Here are some snippets from the article, which discusses an interview with a friend of the G-C family, Steven Jaffe.

  • The couple moved to the area during the coronavirus pandemic after Gerrish had the opportunity to work from home as a software engineer, family friend Steve Jeffe told The Bee.
  • Sunday’s outing with the family dog, who was also found dead at the site, was supposed to be a day hike, Jeffe said.
  • But on Monday when their nanny arrived at their home to watch Miju and no one answered the door, those close to Gerrish and Chung became worried.
  • “You had to figure it wasn’t an overnight hike, because it’s been hot and they had the baby with them,” Jeffe said in a telephone interview. “Jon was supposed to work Monday and never showed up. That raised more concerns.”
  • Like Gerrish and Chung, Jeffe also moved from San Francisco to Mariposa to enjoy the outdoor life.
  • It was Jeffe who shared with Gerrish the pros and cons of relocating to Mariposa, having spent the past seven years splitting time between the two areas himself.
  • “They were doting parents,” Jeffe said. “For this to happen to them and to their baby girl, it’s exceedingly tragic.”
 
  • #66
Sorry I meant to link to you @Noemia And you’re also right about autopsies. Theyre much nicer in theory than practice.
 
  • #67
  • #68
Reviving some MSM from Thread 1 that may be of interest to those with questions about whether the family had any intention of going for a hike that Sunday:

From
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article253572954.html

It may be behind a paywall for some. Here are some snippets from the article, which discusses an interview with a friend of the G-C family, Steven Jaffe.

  • The couple moved to the area during the coronavirus pandemic after Gerrish had the opportunity to work from home as a software engineer, family friend Steve Jeffe told The Bee.
  • Sunday’s outing with the family dog, who was also found dead at the site, was supposed to be a day hike, Jeffe said.
  • But on Monday when their nanny arrived at their home to watch Miju and no one answered the door, those close to Gerrish and Chung became worried.
  • “You had to figure it wasn’t an overnight hike, because it’s been hot and they had the baby with them,” Jeffe said in a telephone interview. “Jon was supposed to work Monday and never showed up. That raised more concerns.”
  • Like Gerrish and Chung, Jeffe also moved from San Francisco to Mariposa to enjoy the outdoor life.
  • It was Jeffe who shared with Gerrish the pros and cons of relocating to Mariposa, having spent the past seven years splitting time between the two areas himself.
  • “They were doting parents,” Jeffe said. “For this to happen to them and to their baby girl, it’s exceedingly tragic.”
How did Jeffe know their plans for that Sunday when he was in Croatia? Did he see the picture? Plus he initially thought they went down the trail in a vehicle, so he didn't know they were going for a hike. Maybe they planned to take the truck down and found it closed, but then why the picture of the baby backpack.

Family’s death in Sierra National Forest is shrouded in mystery - The San Francisco Examiner

My thought initially was perhaps the car veered off the trail,” said Jeffe, who cut short a trip to Croatia when he learned that the bodies had been found. “People were going to go out and look.”
 
  • #69
Actually @PerplexedPatty they havnt said anything about anything. They could have found a bulldozer in the bush and not told us.
 
  • #70
  • #71
How did Jeffe know their plans for that Sunday when he was in Croatia? Did he see the picture? Plus he initially thought they went down the trail in a vehicle, so he didn't know they were going for a hike. Maybe they planned to take the truck down and found it closed, but then why the picture of the baby backpack.

Family’s death in Sierra National Forest is shrouded in mystery - The San Francisco Examiner

My thought initially was perhaps the car veered off the trail,” said Jeffe, who cut short a trip to Croatia when he learned that the bodies had been found. “People were going to go out and look.”

moo, mutual friends filled him in or news alerts?
 
  • #72
Actually @PerplexedPatty they havnt said anything about anything. They could have found a bulldozer in the bush and not told us.

We didn’t see one airlifted out so I don’t think heavy equipment was found.

See, I disagree, my interpretation from Briese’s latest release said a lot. I interpret the need for “key tox’ results” to imply a toxin was found, it only remains unknown OR
confirmation testing is incomplete. Hypothetically assume XYZ was detected by Bozo labs. Imo, Ronald labs must next conduct an analysis to see if the same results return. Next, how much (if any) was found. Rinse-repeat.
all MOO
 
  • #73
Thank you for your explanation. I think I understand what you mean regarding satellite communications being difficult in some areas. However I was thinking more in terms of, for example, where they were at 7.45 when the vehicle was seen or where they were when they lost signal. My phone tracks me when I go on walks. I know it’s not the same terrain but it would still record my journey up to the point where I lost the signal. Also Jon worked for Google over ten years. He would have had the latest tech available - and probably some we’ve never even heard of yet.
I actually was working on a theory at one point that JG had top secret technology (even perhaps on him), and someone might have wanted it. I was dimly remembering the time an Apple engineer inadvertently left a top secret beta build of some new hardware item at a restaurant (?), so I knew that top engineers use non-public technology as an everyday kind of thing.
 
  • #74
Not ruled out list (please add to this)

murder/homicide
Poison
Heat stroke
Environmental (algae mats/blooms)
Natural water sources (pond/stream/river)
 
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  • #75
I agree, a PLB would be valuable for anyone hiking in the back country. But I think the original post by @Pumphouse363 may have been suggesting that Jon was recording the hike with the phone's GPS tracking. It wouldn't need cell service. He appeared to have done that for many hikes before with either his phone or a smartwatch in areas near there according to AllTrails. Even if he wasn't recording the hike, there could possibly be pictures taken during the hike on the phone that would document their route.
Sure, you can produce breadcrumbs via GPS on your phone, but that wouldn't give you a way to communicate with anyone if there's no cell service. And even the GPS might have been gappy, because it's satellite-based and has to be able to lock onto more than one satellite (i.e. in view) to provide a bearing.
LE said early on they had trouble getting their satellite phone working in that area, so GPS info on the phone might be non-existent.
 
  • #76
There is no shortage of fatal toxins that could somehow land in water or food. I’m totally guessing but feel it will be 2-4 weeks before tests results come back. IF a foreign toxic substance has been discovered in the water bottle, it proves nothing, tests still need to prove if anyone ingested it as well as how much. MOO

I bet a lot of us had no idea this plant can be deadly.

yellow oleander poisoning: Topics by Science.gov
Yes, don't grow oleander. Also, some plants in the backcountry can be misidentified and cause death. This is not rare. Hemlock is an example.
 
  • #77
Not ruled out list (please add to this)

murder/homicide
Poison
Heat stroke
Environmental (algae mats/blooms)
Natural water
What's "natural water"?
 
  • #78
This is my speculation only. I'm not convinced that their deaths were accidental. It just strikes me as odd that 1) all of them were affected, and 2) no one else was.

Further, whatever happened was either so fast-acting or so severe that they didn't return to the car (granted, I have no idea how far they were from where they parked -- maybe they were on their way back).

My (very unprofessional) opinion is that they were purposefully poisoned, including the dog food/treats. Maybe before they even left their vehicle to start hiking. This just my total speculation on how they all died so suddenly and together.
Ita. I have believed this from the get go.
Not to beat a dead horse but “continued interviews” supports our (my) theory because it would be necessary to identify anyone that accessed the family’s home in recent days, anyone with a “beef”, and more…
All MOO

I also believe HS would be identifiable as the case pathologists can get assistance from peers across the globe, as well as from published data and professional organizations, IMO, just as any medical professional might. It is imperative CoD is established to rule out potential public health risks.
*I do think one death might be attributable to exposure.
All MOO
Some of the organizations for pathologists:
Professional Pathology Societies
  • College of American Pathologists. ...
  • United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. ...
  • American Society for Clinical Pathology. ...
  • American Society of Hematology. ...
  • International Academy of Pathology. ...
  • California Society of Pathologists. ...
  • Los Angeles Society of Pathologists.


Professional Pathology Societies | Cedars-Sinai
 
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  • #79
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