Family seeks answers after official ruling in Colorado freshman Megan Trussell’s death

BOULDER, Colo. — The family of Megan Trussell, an 18-year-old University of Colorado Boulder freshman, say they are still seeking answers after officials ruled her death a suicide tied to the toxic effects of amphetamine and hypothermia. The case has drawn scrutiny over how the investigation was conducted and has spurred the family to seek outside review and accountability.

Trussell disappeared after a night on campus on Feb. 9, with security footage showing her leaving her dorm around 9 p.m. Investigators later confirmed she was last seen in the dorm’s vicinity the night of the incident. Three days later, her frozen body was discovered just outside Boulder, with police describing a scene that raised questions for her family given the circumstances surrounding her last days alive. The body’s discovery prompted immediate attention from volunteers who had joined in the search for the freshman. Investigators later said the body was found down a rock slope, and that no purse or phone had accompanied her at the scene.

In May, authorities ruled the death a suicide resulting from the toxic effects of amphetamine, a key component in Adderall, alongside hypothermia. The initial autopsy found empty medication bottles in Trussell’s dorm room and a bottle near her body. A second autopsy later revealed contents in her stomach that investigators described as consistent with deliberate ingestion, though the family has raised questions about the completeness of the testing and the interpretation of the results. Deputy Coroner Kolleen Hancock noted that the body was located about 20 feet down a rock slope, with bruising that was not considered to have contributed to the death. Additional autopsy details and the presence of multiple empty Adderall bottles in the dorm fueled the family’s concerns about what happened in the days leading up to her disappearance.

The family has expressed that Megan was not known to struggle with depression and had been enjoying what should have been a positive first year of college. Megan’s sister, who spoke with investigators, described Megan as looking forward to family events and a cousin’s upcoming birthday, and stated that Megan did not believe she would harm herself. The family also highlighted a complicated family history, including their parents’ divorce, and suggested that the emotional turmoil may have been misinterpreted or overlooked in the investigation. Family members said Megan’s last known activity included an argument with her roommate and boyfriend on the night she was last seen, which the notes indicated preceded her disappearance. The sister said the situation was unusual and described Megan as a well-adjusted person who enjoyed college life.

The Trussell family has rejected the idea that the case is closed. They have hired a private investigator and have offered a reward of $6,000 for information leading to an arrest. A Change.org petition, which had gathered thousands of signatures, seeks to compel a broader review of the case. A GoFundMe page to support legal costs and further investigation has raised tens of thousands of dollars. The family argues that the investigation began with a bias toward a suicide conclusion and that important questions remained unanswered, including the origin of additional pill material found in the stomach and the absence of Megan’s phone and purse at the time of the initial discovery.

The dispute over Megan Trussell’s death centers not only on how the case was handled but also on the broader issue of campus safety and transparency in investigations involving students. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has maintained that detectives and deputies conducted a thorough investigation based on all available evidence, including the autopsies and the timeline surrounding her disappearance. Sheriff Curtis Johnson’s office has argued that the investigation followed established procedures and that the available evidence supported the suicide determination. The family, however, remains convinced that crucial facts were not fully explored and that a potential crime remains unsolved.

Beyond the autopsy findings, several details from the investigation have attracted scrutiny. For example, investigators reported Megan’s sister’s account indicating that Megan had found her roommate’s relationship with her boyfriend troubling, and the night Megan vanished was marked by an argument that, according to some reports, was between Megan, her roommate, and her boyfriend. Another aspect of the case that drew attention was the discovery of Megan’s phone weeks after her death. The device pinged near the location where her body was found, but it was not recovered until a later date at a resale kiosk. In the meantime, a homeless man was accused of attempting to steal the phone and providing a false declaration to a pawnbroker, with investigators saying he had obtained the device from another homeless man. The family says they were not shown complete evidence about the phone or its disappearance, and they argue that the path to Megan’s death has not been fully explained.

The family’s pursuit of answers has extended beyond private investigators and petitions. They have publicly argued that the investigation did not sufficiently rule out other possibilities and have called for a reevaluation of the evidence, including whether there were other substances involved or factors that could have contributed to Megan’s death beyond the reported toxic effects of Adderall and hypothermia. They have asserted that Megan did not exhibit suicidal behavior prior to her disappearance and that the circumstances surrounding the night she vanished were inconsistent with any clear plan for self-harm. The GoFundMe and Change.org efforts reflect a broader demand for accountability and for ensuring safety and transparency in campus-related investigations.

As the case remains unresolved in the eyes of Megan’s family, supporters and community members continue to debate the appropriate balance between concluding investigations efficiently and ensuring due process through independent review. The Boulder community and the university have expressed sympathy for Megan’s family while reiterating that the official findings were reached through careful review of medical records, autopsy results, and the trajectory of events surrounding the disappearance. The ongoing requests for additional scrutiny reflect a broader concern about how such cases are handled in college towns, where student welfare and campus safety are priorities for both law enforcement and university leadership.

The Trussell family intends to pursue all available avenues to uncover additional facts and pursue justice for Megan. They have stated that this case will not be resolved quickly and remain committed to continuing their efforts to ensure that all evidence is examined and that those responsible, if any, are identified and held accountable. As the dialogue around this case continues, the family calls for greater transparency and accountability in how such investigations are conducted, both to honor Megan’s memory and to safeguard other students in the campus community.