Three decomposed bodies found by a hiker at a remote campsite in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains were identified by a coroner Tuesday. Michael Barnes, the Gunnison County coroner, said the deceased were Colorado Springs residents Rebecca Vance, 42, her 14-year-old son, and her sister, Christine Vance, 41. Rebecca’s stepsister, Trevala Jara, told The New York Times that the two sisters and the teen told her they were going “off the grid,” and that Jara had tried to persuade them not to go. Jara said her stepsister had grown disillusioned with the way the world was going and that her fears about its direction grew worse during the pandemic. Rebecca’s sister, Christine, didn’t want to go initially, according to Jara, but changed her mind in the belief that the mother and son would have “a better chance of surviving” if she went too. Barnes said a harsh winter or malnourishment likely caused their deaths.
