‘Vibrant’ 18-year-old college student vanished in Colorado. Now body found, cops say
About a week after an 18-year-old college student vanished, her body was found along a highway in Colorado, officials said.
Megan Trussell was reported missing to University of Colorado police on Wednesday, Feb. 12, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office took over the investigation after rangers found her body near the 40-mile marker of Boulder Canyon Drive on Saturday, Feb. 15, the department said.
Trussell’s body “was found in hard-to-reach terrain” that required first responders to rappel and conduct a “technical evacuation,” officials said in an earlier news release.
The coroner didn’t provide details about what may have caused Trussell’s death, but said investigators “do not believe there is, or was, a threat to the community.”
The bright red-haired student was last seen on her college campus around 10 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9, officials said.
A surveillance photo shared by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation shows the student walking through a doorway wearing a “distinct” blue purse with a pink star on it.
On Facebook, Trussell’s mother Vanessa Diaz said the family didn’t know where Trussell was headed that night, and her sister who also attends the university “had no idea” she’d had left the dorm.
Her family gathered to remember her with a “makeshift memorial” on Feb. 17, Diaz said on Facebook.
Her family members recalled her humor and “vibrant spirit,” according to an online fundraiser.
“She always could sense the humor in a situation and play it to the hill,” her father Joe Trussell told KDVR. “She just made people happy.”
In a statement, the University of Colorado’s vice chancellor for student affairs Dr. D’Andra Mull encouraged students and staff struggling with Trussell’s death to take advantage of the campus’ support and counseling services.
“Megan was a beloved member of our community and we are heartened by stories of Megan’s spirit and warmth that have been shared by friends and family,” Mull said in the statement.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office urged anyone who might have more information about Trussell’s movements on Feb. 9 or any relevant information to submit tips to BCSOtips@bouldercounty.gov.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM with the headline "‘Vibrant’ 18-year-old college student vanished in Colorado. Now body found, cops say."
