Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As always, Websleuths does a good job on real-life mysteries. Here's the thread: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-jonathan-gerrish-ellen-chung-daughter-1-dog-suspicious-death-remote-hiking-area-aug-2021.582843/page-43 I find this poster's theory (starting with the dog swimming in toxic water) plausible:

I can imagine a scenario where the dog was off leash, scouting ahead of the family, reached the water, and took a drink and perhaps a swim. The family arrives and is immediately concerned, and the dog begins to show poisoning symptoms. The adults now have to carry an ailing dog, infant, water, and any other gear they may have back up the switchbacks. They are distressed and rushing while bearing additional weight and heat. One or both of the adults could even have suffered a minor injury like a sprained ankle. The father begins to show signs of heat distress. The dad sits down on the trail in the midst of heat stroke. The mom, familiar with the symptoms, goes to him, puts down her dog, and removes the child carrier. She tries to cool him down with some of the remaining water. Knowing she is just a mile and a half from the car, she leaves her family in the middle of the trail in the event other hikers may pass and begins to sprint to the car carrying only her keys and phone. But her distress, exhaustion, and possible injury (exposure to toxins from carrying the dog? sprain?) etc. catch up with her. She is unable to continue.

That’s…not what I would call a good job.

Why...not? (Another nice thing about Websleuths is that posters treat each other with respect over there, understanding that no members of the public have enough facts in the early rounds of an investigation to settle on a single theory.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As always, Websleuths does a good job on real-life mysteries. Here's the thread: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-jonathan-gerrish-ellen-chung-daughter-1-dog-suspicious-death-remote-hiking-area-aug-2021.582843/page-43 I find this poster's theory (starting with the dog swimming in toxic water) plausible:

I can imagine a scenario where the dog was off leash, scouting ahead of the family, reached the water, and took a drink and perhaps a swim. The family arrives and is immediately concerned, and the dog begins to show poisoning symptoms. The adults now have to carry an ailing dog, infant, water, and any other gear they may have back up the switchbacks. They are distressed and rushing while bearing additional weight and heat. One or both of the adults could even have suffered a minor injury like a sprained ankle. The father begins to show signs of heat distress. The dad sits down on the trail in the midst of heat stroke. The mom, familiar with the symptoms, goes to him, puts down her dog, and removes the child carrier. She tries to cool him down with some of the remaining water. Knowing she is just a mile and a half from the car, she leaves her family in the middle of the trail in the event other hikers may pass and begins to sprint to the car carrying only her keys and phone. But her distress, exhaustion, and possible injury (exposure to toxins from carrying the dog? sprain?) etc. catch up with her. She is unable to continue.

That’s…not what I would call a good job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Dad was older, 46, techie who only settled down with his pretty non-techie wife recently. That is squarely in the burning man demographic, and I wonder if they were into recreational drugs and took a bad batch or misidentified wild mushrooms? I mean, no judgement if they do.

More sinister interpretation, he was a 40+ old man set in his way, got hooked into marriage and baby by a pretty young woman, and wanted out after a year stuck with them. As a high paid tech employee married to a social sciences grad student, he was looking at crippling child support and alimony. His carefree rich life was over no matter what he did. I don’t think it’s that, but he is old for a 1st time dad.

The drugs theory doesn't explain the baby and dog being dead.

Anonymous wrote:Heat stroke is not fast-acting enough to incapacitate two adults and a dog only 1.5 miles from their car.

In addition the father had the mother's phone when he died. Sounds like at least one of the two adults was delirious because if the mother was going back to the car for help - she would have taken the phone, if not the baby.

The mother was also first aid trained and from California. I can't imagine its not a natural gas/CO thing.

Anonymous wrote:As always, Websleuths does a good job on real-life mysteries. Here's the thread: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-jonathan-gerrish-ellen-chung-daughter-1-dog-suspicious-death-remote-hiking-area-aug-2021.582843/page-43 I find this poster's theory (starting with the dog swimming in toxic water) plausible:

I can imagine a scenario where the dog was off leash, scouting ahead of the family, reached the water, and took a drink and perhaps a swim. The family arrives and is immediately concerned, and the dog begins to show poisoning symptoms. The adults now have to carry an ailing dog, infant, water, and any other gear they may have back up the switchbacks. They are distressed and rushing while bearing additional weight and heat. One or both of the adults could even have suffered a minor injury like a sprained ankle. The father begins to show signs of heat distress. The dad sits down on the trail in the midst of heat stroke. The mom, familiar with the symptoms, goes to him, puts down her dog, and removes the child carrier. She tries to cool him down with some of the remaining water. Knowing she is just a mile and a half from the car, she leaves her family in the middle of the trail in the event other hikers may pass and begins to sprint to the car carrying only her keys and phone. But her distress, exhaustion, and possible injury (exposure to toxins from carrying the dog? sprain?) etc. catch up with her. She is unable to continue.

Anonymous wrote:As always, Websleuths does a good job on real-life mysteries. Here's the thread: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-jonathan-gerrish-ellen-chung-daughter-1-dog-suspicious-death-remote-hiking-area-aug-2021.582843/page-43 I find this poster's theory (starting with the dog swimming in toxic water) plausible:

I can imagine a scenario where the dog was off leash, scouting ahead of the family, reached the water, and took a drink and perhaps a swim. The family arrives and is immediately concerned, and the dog begins to show poisoning symptoms. The adults now have to carry an ailing dog, infant, water, and any other gear they may have back up the switchbacks. They are distressed and rushing while bearing additional weight and heat. One or both of the adults could even have suffered a minor injury like a sprained ankle. The father begins to show signs of heat distress. The dad sits down on the trail in the midst of heat stroke. The mom, familiar with the symptoms, goes to him, puts down her dog, and removes the child carrier. She tries to cool him down with some of the remaining water. Knowing she is just a mile and a half from the car, she leaves her family in the middle of the trail in the event other hikers may pass and begins to sprint to the car carrying only her keys and phone. But her distress, exhaustion, and possible injury (exposure to toxins from carrying the dog? sprain?) etc. catch up with her. She is unable to continue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is awful. And if they didn't give that water to their baby and dog, it means the baby and dog maybe died AFTER the adults in the heat which is just...the stuff of nightmares on top of a nightmare already.

Maybe mom collapsed, and dad was trying to get help, but wasn't going to leave the dog and baby with collapsed mom, but then he didn't make it either, further down the hill. And then baby and dog perish in the interim.

Unless it was murder/suicide. Which I'd keep on the table until it's cleared.

Hiking on the hot day with a baby isn't unusual. Maybe they planned to be home by 9am. My infants woke up at 5am, we definitely could have done 7am hiking and planned to be home early.

In this scenario, the dog would not have died sitting next to the man.

The dog would have gone down to the river to find water and shade. Dogs also do not want to die in the open, they will go off to hide to die.

Anonymous wrote:As always, Websleuths does a good job on real-life mysteries. Here's the thread: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-jonathan-gerrish-ellen-chung-daughter-1-dog-suspicious-death-remote-hiking-area-aug-2021.582843/page-43 I find this poster's theory (starting with the dog swimming in toxic water) plausible:

I can imagine a scenario where the dog was off leash, scouting ahead of the family, reached the water, and took a drink and perhaps a swim. The family arrives and is immediately concerned, and the dog begins to show poisoning symptoms. The adults now have to carry an ailing dog, infant, water, and any other gear they may have back up the switchbacks. They are distressed and rushing while bearing additional weight and heat. One or both of the adults could even have suffered a minor injury like a sprained ankle. The father begins to show signs of heat distress. The dad sits down on the trail in the midst of heat stroke. The mom, familiar with the symptoms, goes to him, puts down her dog, and removes the child carrier. She tries to cool him down with some of the remaining water. Knowing she is just a mile and a half from the car, she leaves her family in the middle of the trail in the event other hikers may pass and begins to sprint to the car carrying only her keys and phone. But her distress, exhaustion, and possible injury (exposure to toxins from carrying the dog? sprain?) etc. catch up with her. She is unable to continue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is awful. And if they didn't give that water to their baby and dog, it means the baby and dog maybe died AFTER the adults in the heat which is just...the stuff of nightmares on top of a nightmare already.

Maybe mom collapsed, and dad was trying to get help, but wasn't going to leave the dog and baby with collapsed mom, but then he didn't make it either, further down the hill. And then baby and dog perish in the interim.

Unless it was murder/suicide. Which I'd keep on the table until it's cleared.

Hiking on the hot day with a baby isn't unusual. Maybe they planned to be home by 9am. My infants woke up at 5am, we definitely could have done 7am hiking and planned to be home early.

In this scenario, the dog would not have died sitting next to the man.

The dog would have gone down to the river to find water and shade. Dogs also do not want to die in the open, they will go off to hide to die.

Not to mention they were found the same day, 9 hours later. Even in 109 degree heat, a healthy dog would have survived that long.

They left their house on Sunday and were found Tuesday.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is awful. And if they didn't give that water to their baby and dog, it means the baby and dog maybe died AFTER the adults in the heat which is just...the stuff of nightmares on top of a nightmare already.

Maybe mom collapsed, and dad was trying to get help, but wasn't going to leave the dog and baby with collapsed mom, but then he didn't make it either, further down the hill. And then baby and dog perish in the interim.

Unless it was murder/suicide. Which I'd keep on the table until it's cleared.

Hiking on the hot day with a baby isn't unusual. Maybe they planned to be home by 9am. My infants woke up at 5am, we definitely could have done 7am hiking and planned to be home early.

In this scenario, the dog would not have died sitting next to the man.

The dog would have gone down to the river to find water and shade. Dogs also do not want to die in the open, they will go off to hide to die.

Not to mention they were found the same day, 9 hours later. Even in 109 degree heat, a healthy dog would have survived that long.

They left their house on Sunday and were found Tuesday.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is awful. And if they didn't give that water to their baby and dog, it means the baby and dog maybe died AFTER the adults in the heat which is just...the stuff of nightmares on top of a nightmare already.

Maybe mom collapsed, and dad was trying to get help, but wasn't going to leave the dog and baby with collapsed mom, but then he didn't make it either, further down the hill. And then baby and dog perish in the interim.

Unless it was murder/suicide. Which I'd keep on the table until it's cleared.

Hiking on the hot day with a baby isn't unusual. Maybe they planned to be home by 9am. My infants woke up at 5am, we definitely could have done 7am hiking and planned to be home early.

In this scenario, the dog would not have died sitting next to the man.

The dog would have gone down to the river to find water and shade. Dogs also do not want to die in the open, they will go off to hide to die.

Not to mention they were found the same day, 9 hours later. Even in 109 degree heat, a healthy dog would have survived that long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing is awful. And if they didn't give that water to their baby and dog, it means the baby and dog maybe died AFTER the adults in the heat which is just...the stuff of nightmares on top of a nightmare already.

Maybe mom collapsed, and dad was trying to get help, but wasn't going to leave the dog and baby with collapsed mom, but then he didn't make it either, further down the hill. And then baby and dog perish in the interim.

Unless it was murder/suicide. Which I'd keep on the table until it's cleared.

Hiking on the hot day with a baby isn't unusual. Maybe they planned to be home by 9am. My infants woke up at 5am, we definitely could have done 7am hiking and planned to be home early.

In this scenario, the dog would not have died sitting next to the man.

The dog would have gone down to the river to find water and shade. Dogs also do not want to die in the open, they will go off to hide to die.

Anonymous wrote:Was the baby still on the dad's lap? If the parents died first, the baby would have fallen off or wandered off. Carrying a baby in a pack can cause a person to overheat even more. They may have shared carrying the baby, but if they were avid hikers, you'd think they would be somewhat in shape. I don't think drinking moldy water would have killed them instantly. One parent could have been mentally ill and the other parent may have suggested they go on a hike to clear their heads. Buying the airbnb could have been a diversion, to make it seem like they had plans for the future.