Daily Press Writer
MONTROSE — The manner of death of Montrose High School student Holly Jordan St. John, 17, has been ruled “not determined” by the Montrose County coroner. The girl’s body was found 1,200 feet below Gunnison Point at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on Feb. 10.
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He also determined that there were no other parties involved in the death. The ruling was reached Feb. 14, after analysis of three items: the autopsy, the report from park rangers and the investigation by the coroner’s office, he said.
Canfield spoke with St. John’s family as part of the investigation. Unless he receives further evidence that leans otherwise, the manner of death will remain undetermined. The ruling was reached on a scientific basis, Canfield said.
“It ends up there is not a scientific basis for concluding homicide, suicide, natural death or (other),” he said.
The toxicology report and microscopics of tissue samples are pending. The toxicology report should be released in about a week, but the microscopics could take “much longer,” he said.
St. John’s body was discovered the morning of Feb. 10, after a park ranger arrived at the visitor center to perform opening duties. The ranger noticed a white Ford Taurus in the parking lot that was suspicious enough to warrant a call to the police.
The cause of death was concluded as multiple traumatic injuries, and the death occurred upon impact, according to Canfield’s autopsy.
The operation to remove the body involved dropping three men from a helicopter on the canyon floor. They ice climbed roughly 600 feet until they reached the body, then belayed it to the bottom for retrieval.
The belaying process began the afternoon of Feb. 10 and concluded the next morning. The men spent the night camping on the rocky canyon floor, as they had run out of daylight and had to postpone the operation.
Contact Robert Allen via e-mail at roberta@montrosepress.com
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