Hopes that dog autopsy could shed light on mysterious Brit family deaths in US

22 August 2021, 20:13

Jonathan Gerrish and his wife Ellen Chung were found dead in California, along with their one-year-old daughter Muji and the family dog
Jonathan Gerrish and his wife Ellen Chung were found dead in California, along with their one-year-old daughter Muji and the family dog. Picture: Instagram

By Daisy Stephens

Police are hoping an autopsy of the family dog will provide an explanation for the mysterious deaths of a couple and their one-year-old daughter in California.

Jonathan Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung and their daughter, Muji, were found dead in a remote area of the Sierra national forest after being reported missing on Monday evening.

The family dog, Oski, was also found dead.

The cause of the deaths is currently unknown, with possibilities including carbon monoxide from old mines or toxic algae from nearby water bodies.

Police have said they are no longer considering homicide as a possibility despite initially launching a murder investigation.

There are now hopes that an autopsy of Oski, as well as toxicology reports from the family, could provide some answers.

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Jonathan, a software designer originally from Lancashire, and his wife recently moved to the area from San Francisco.

A friend of the couple told a local paper that the pair were “avid hikers”.

The family were seemingly healthy and no physical wounds or trauma were found on the bodies, according to reports.

There was also no suicide note.

It is hoped that the autopsy and toxicology reports could yield answers within the next three weeks.

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