On Jan. 8, two individuals were found dead in Canyonlands National Park. Authorities have launched an active investigation into the incident.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it received a call on Jan. 8 at 8:15 a.m. about a suspicious vehicle on Shafer Trail, a popular scenic drive in the Islands of the Sky District of the park. A park employee noticed that the car appeared to be left overnight in a no camping zone.
When National Park Service (NPS) staff arrived, they found an unconscious boy, age 6, in the car. They immediately attempted lifesaving medical care, and the boy was sent to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Outside the vehicle, authorities found another deceased individual, his mother. A local news outlet reported that there were signs of trauma on the woman, but not the child. Surveillance video showed them entering the park at around 4 a.m. on Jan. 7. The father/husband in Colorado reported them missing that same day.
Both individuals were sent to the state medical examiner’s office for further examination. The Sheriff’s Office said it is treating the incident as a murder–suicide.
