The bodies of Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, his 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oksi, were found by search and rescue workers on August 17 in a remote area of the National Forest of Sierra, at the southern fork of the Merced River, according to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. They met on the Savage Lundy Trail.
Sierra National Forest said it closed the area where the family was found as a precaution because of the “unknown dangers found on and around the Savage Lundy Trail.”
Investigators have not yet determined what led to the mysterious deaths. Autopsies in the family and an autopsy in the dog were inconclusive as long as the results of the toxicology remain pending. Some results could come as early as Wednesday, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kristie Mitchell told CNN.
The only possible causes of death that have been ruled out are gunshots or any other type of weapon and specific chemical hazards along the Savage Lundy Trail. Detectives have not ruled out possible toxins in areas close to the track.
Since mid-July, warning signs have been issued for the flowering of toxic algae at the southern fork of the Merced River, near where the family was found. Water samples from the area, along with samples of the drinking water the family packed, have been sent to labs for testing.
Search orders for the family home and cars showed no significant evidence. Their phones have been picked up and the FBI is undergoing data extraction.
“We know John and Ellen’s family and friends are desperate for answers, our team of detectives work 24 hours a day,” Butterfly County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a statement. “Cases like this require us to be methodical and thorough, while addressing all the resources we can find to help us offer them the answers as quickly as possible.”
The family was generous, amazing, says a friend
Steve Jeffe said he met the couple in San Francisco years ago, and that they got close long after they moved to the Butterfly area.
“They were amazing people, very generous,” Jeffe told CNN. “They love their daughter very much.”
Gerrish worked for Google and had recently started working on Snapchat, according to Jeffe, who was alerted by friends after the family did not return home from a day trip last month.
The family nanny found no one at home when she arrived Monday morning and, after Gerrish did not show up for work, “the alarms went off,” Jeffe said.
“They were an incredibly loving and peaceful family,” said Jeffe, who described the couple as loved with a very large group of friends.
“It’s a baffling event. There’s something so baffling about what happened,” Jeffe said. “Whether it was environmental or artificial, it was obvious they found something,” Jeffe added, speculating on what may have led to his death.
Mitchell said the area where the family met is popular in the spring because of its colorful wildflowers and that it is very hot at this time of year and there is little shade.
He said the family was well prepared for a day trip.
CNN’s David Williams contributed to this report.