Investigation into family found dead in Mariposa may have to wait on toxicology

The investigation into the deaths of a Mariposa family found in the mountains southwest of Yosemite National Park may have to wait on toxicology results, the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday morning.

The bodies of John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, 1-year-old daughter Miju and the family dog were found near the Devil’s Gulch area in the South Fork of the Merced River drainage on Tuesday. The isolated location is about 15 miles southwest of the El Portal entrance to Yosemite National Park on Highway 140.

An update from the sheriff’s office and the California Department of Justice is expected later Wednesday, according to Deputy Kristie Mitchell.

The sheriff’s office wouldn’t say whether the investigation was being treated as a homicide, but said it could have to wait on toxicology results, which could take some time.

“At this point we can’t rule out anything,” Mitchell said.

The family had moved from San Francisco to Mariposa County during the pandemic.

According to a family friend, Gerrish was originally from England and has worked as a software engineer for Google and SnapChat. Chung originally was from Orange in Southern California and was a yoga instructor prior to her pregnancy.

The family loved the great outdoors and was reported missing Monday after going on a day hike on Sunday.

Their vehicle was found by search teams near a Sierra National Forest gate leading to Hites Cove in the area of Jerseydale. Their bodies were discovered between 9:30 a.m and 10 a.m. on Tuesday in an area so remote, search team members had to hike out to establish satellite phone connection.

There was no clear indication of the cause of death, the sheriff’s office said, and because of mines in the area, the scene was being treated as a hazmat scene.

As of Tuesday evening, authorities had yet to recover the bodies.

This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Investigation into family found dead in Mariposa may have to wait on toxicology."