The tragic likely cause of death for a father and daughter who were found on the side of the road on Monday has been revealed.
Jason Murph and his six-year-old daughter Michelle vanished in South Carolina after a family member received an alarming phone call in which Michelle could be heard screaming.
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The coroner for Calhoun County, where the pair was found, said on Friday that while the autopsy results were inconclusive, he believes he knows how they died.
Coroner Donnie Porth thinks the two may have died of hypothermia.
“Because of the elements,” Porth told local CBS affiliate WLTX.
“It wasn’t below freezing by no means, but because of the wind and the rain, they become extremely cold, and I think it became an urgency for them to try to find help and try to find shelter.”
Jason and Michelle were reported missing after they were last heard from at about 8 pm on December 16.
The two were driving to Jason’s Mother’s house in Orangeburg, South Carolina, south of Columbia.
His estranged wife received a phone call from Jason saying he wrecked his silver Toyota Tundra pickup.
Jason’s wife told police that she could hear Michelle yelling in the background.
He hung up the phone and refused to answer her return calls, according to an incident report obtained by The U.S. Sun.
Jason’s wife texted him asking him to call 911 but she didn’t hear from him again, according to the documents.
The report also revealed that Jason was suspected of using alcohol before the crash.
Police began investigating Jason and Michelle’s mysterious disappearance on December 17.
The next day, they discovered Jason’s burnt truck with their bodies only about 100 yards away.
‘BECAME URGENT TO GET OUT’
Porth said there is evidence that Jason’s vehicle got stuck in the mud in the aftermath of the wreck and he may have tried multiple times to move it.
He also said that a grass fire likely started as a result of Jason trying to free the truck.
“In my opinion, the car actually started the grass fire probably about 10:30 pm, but unfortunately, when the car fire was extinguished, I think that’s when they became urgent to get out,” Porth told WLTX.
Porth said it appeared that Jason and Michelle tried to reach the interstate for help.
But they fell victim to a muddy area about 100 yards from where the truck was stuck.
Porth said their bodies were found next to one another.
“I feel like they were walking together, and unfortunately, he being heavier than she is, he sank into the mud, and the more you struggle, the deeper you go,” Porth said.
“I would ask everyone to keep family and friends and their prayers and thoughts.”
Police do not believe foul play was involved.
The crash remains under investigation.
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