Timeline of investigation into the unexplained deaths of a family hiking near Yosemite
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office shared a timeline of its investigation into how a Mariposa family mysteriously died this month along a hiking trail in Sierra National Forest, southwest of Yosemite National Park.
In a new update Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it ruled out weapons or “chemical hazards” along the Savage-Lundy Trail, where Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung were hiking with their 1-year-old daughter and dog, as possible causes of death.
“ALL other potential causes of death remain,” the sheriff’s office said.
Here’s a timeline of events from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office and what’s happened with its ongoing investigation:
- Saturday, Aug. 14: Jonathan Gerrish researches Hites Cove hike via a phone app.
- Sunday, Aug. 15: 7:45 a.m., witness sees the Gerrish/Chung family traveling in their vehicle toward the trailhead, down Hites Cove Road north of Jerseydale in Mariposa County.
- Monday, Aug. 16: 11 p.m., a family friend reports the family missing.
- Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:53 a.m., the family’s car is located down Hites Cove Road north of Jerseydale.
- Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:55 a.m., a search and rescue mission is initiated.
- Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m., the family is found dead on the Savage-Lundy Trail by a search and rescue team.
- Thursday, Aug. 19: Autopsies are completed on the family and dog. The autopsy findings state “pending toxicology” results.
- Friday, Aug. 20: Search warrants issued for a phone found with the family.
- Friday, Aug. 20: Search warrants issued for the family’s home and cars. “Nothing significant” is found.
- Monday, Aug. 23: Additional water samples are collected from water sources “along the trail area.” Other samples from that area were sent to a lab the previous week. There’s a known harmful algae bloom in the south fork of the Merced River, in the region where they were found.
- Tuesday, Aug. 24: A cell phone is delivered to the FBI for data extraction, “awaiting results.”
- Wednesday, Aug. 25: Search warrants issued for “possible social media access.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Timeline of investigation into the unexplained deaths of a family hiking near Yosemite."
