The search for missing University of Colorado Boulder student Megan Trussell has come to a tragic end, with authorities recovering a body matching her description in hard-to-reach terrain in Boulder Canyon. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office announced the discovery on Saturday, stating that the decedent's name is not being released at this time, pending identification confirmation and notification of next of kin. The investigation is being jointly conducted by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office and the Boulder County Coroner's Office, with the latter determining the cause and manner of death.

Trussell was last seen in her residence hall on February 9, wearing a blue/grey jacket, dark-colored yoga pants, and white platform sneakers, according to the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department. Campus police had been working with local, state, and federal law enforcement to find Trussell, with the FBI joining the search efforts. The discovery of the body was made by City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks rangers at 10:41 a.m. on Saturday, with Boulder Canyon Drive temporarily closed to allow investigators access to recover the decedent and conduct the investigation. The recovery efforts required a technical evacuation, including the need to rappel, due to the hard-to-reach terrain.

The incident has been documented under Boulder County Sheriff's Office case report #25-00778, with assisting agencies including the City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, University of Colorado Police Department, Boulder County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services, Patrol and Detectives, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Boulder Emergency Squad, Nederland Fire Protection District, Boulder County Coroner's Office, and the Boulder Police Department. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information about Trussell's whereabouts to contact the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department at 303-492-6666, referencing CUPD case #2025-029.

A timeline of events in the case includes: * February 9: Megan Trussell is last seen in her residence hall * February 15: City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks rangers report finding a deceased female near the 40-mile marker of Boulder Canyon Drive * February 15: Boulder County Sheriff's Office detectives respond to the scene and locate a female matching Trussell's description * February 15: Boulder Canyon Drive is temporarily closed to allow investigators access to recover the decedent and conduct the investigation * Ongoing: Investigation into the cause and manner of death, with the Boulder County Coroner's Office determining the cause and manner of death.

Multiple stakeholder views on the incident include: * University of Colorado Boulder Police Department: Working with local, state, and federal law enforcement to find Trussell * Boulder County Sheriff's Office: Conducting a joint investigation with the Boulder County Coroner's Office * City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks: Assisting in the recovery efforts * FBI: Joining the search efforts for Trussell. Statistical data on the incident includes: * 1 deceased female found * 10:41 a.m.: Time of discovery * 40-mile marker of Boulder Canyon Drive: Location of discovery * 303-492-6666: Contact number for University of Colorado Boulder Police Department.