“This narrative, that she was this heartbroken, crazed, fragile 18-year-old, we believe that’s based on the fact that she wore baggy jeans and Smashing Pumpkins T-shirts and black eyeliner,” Trussell said. “That was her style. She dressed like that because she chose it. She loved the irony of it.” Trussell said he believes investigators jumped to conclusions based on Megan’s appearance and age that do not reflect who his daughter was and the way she lived. PHONE, PURSE, AND MISSING ITEMS DEEPEN FAMILY’S DOUBTS The May 27, 2025, BCSO news release states that cellphone data indicated Megan traveled west toward Boulder Canyon Drive, where her phone’s last signal was recorded near the 40mile marker. The phone stopped connecting to networks on Feb. 12. Díaz said the FBI’s role was limited to analyzing cell phone data, which she said showed only that Megan’s phone was in the area, not where Megan was herself, or how fast she was moving. She added, “The only thing they have proof of is that her phone was in that location,” and “it’s only phone pings,” not GPS. The BCSO release also states that on March 2, 2025, Megan’s phone was traced to a resale kiosk at a Boulder grocery store and that it had been sold by an unhoused individual who reported receiving it from another unhoused man. “Her phone, one of the most critical pieces of evidence in any missing person case, was not properly entered into the pawn system,” Díaz wrote in an Instagram post. The press release continues that Megan’s purse was found on March 5, 2025 by a community member near the 39.6-mile marker of Highway 36 along the bike path. In a Facebook post, Díaz shared images of the location where Megan’s crossbody purse was found several feet away with its strap torn off. She also wrote in a separate post that Megan’s right shoe was missing from her body when she was discovered. The shoe has not been recovered to this day. UNEXPLAINED INJURIES AND LACK OF FORENSIC TESTING When Díaz received Megan’s autopsy report, she said it documented multiple injuries, including a missing left canine, a badly broken incisor, and bruises and abrasions across her body. Díaz said those injuries were initially minimized, adding that her teeth “are not where they’re supposed to be. She has a gash across her face. She has bruising on her mouth.” In a GoFundMe update, Díaz said she has been unable to obtain the official autopsy photos, X-rays, and internal images because she was told they would not be released out of respect for the deceased and over concerns they could be shared with the media. Díaz also said investigators collected potential forensic evidence, including fingernail clippings, and completed a sexual assault evidence kit. However, this evidence was not sent in for DNA testing. A family member wrote on the official Instagram, “Only toxicology and histology were ever sent for forensic analysis. Nothing else was tested: no swabs, no trace evidence, no clothing fibers, no DNA, no chemical confirmation of the ‘pill material.’” “They did not investigate anything that didn’t reinforce their suicide [determination],” Díaz said. “Everything they sent in for testing was toxicology because that’s the only thing that they wanted to prove.” In a GoFundMe update, Díaz wrote that while the coroner said Megan’s stomach was filled with pill material, toxicology found amphetamine in only 5% to 7% of that material, leaving 93% to 95% unidentified. The family was later told by authorities they would have to pay for any additional testing themselves. “We don’t have that kind of money,” Trussell said. “The state has these resources at their disposal. As citizens and taxpayers, we should not be having to do that. They should.” CBI’S STATUTORY REVIEW On Jan. 9, 2026, CBI announced their review of the case after Díaz and Trussell invoked a Colorado law that requires the agency to independently review deaths of Indigenous people Vanessa Díaz and Joe Trussell stand outside the Colorado Capitol on Mar. 16, 2026, after the senate unanimously passed SB 26-120, “Missing Person Training & Higher Education Reporting,” spearheaded by Sen. Janice Marchman. ruled suicide or overdose under suspicious circumstances. “I feel like it was written just for Megan,” Díaz said. “This information came at exactly the right time… I was starting to lose hope.” The family said CBI’s lead investigator approached them with compassion, and Trussell said they were assured the review would not simply confirm earlier conclusions. Díaz said the review does not reopen the case or shift jurisdiction away from BCSO. She said that CBI can make recommendations, but any additional steps concerning the case would still be up to BCSO. Carrie Haverfield, senior communications specialist for BCSO, said the agency declined an interview request with the Denver VOICE: “As for any actions we may take, we are not going to speculate on the outcome of their review and let their process conclude before making any decisions.” Díaz said she was told by the CBI review team that the review would not normally be public, but she stated the findings should be released if investigators identify problems with the case because “that’s why this law exists.” She added that “we have to make sure we get this right” so the results do not return to the same agencies without accountability or transparency. MEGAN’S CASE LEADS TO POSSIBLE NEW LEGISLATION Sen. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat, has worked alongside Megan’s parents since the beginning of the case and hopes their advocacy prompts a broader reckoning in Colorado over how missing college-aged people are treated. Marchman has since co-sponsored SB 26-120 with Sen. Katie Wallace, another Longmont Democrat. The proposed legislation would create mandatory steps universities and law enforcement must follow when a student goes missing. “We cannot give Megan back to her family, but we can make sure no other family faces the same silence,” she said. Marchman said the bill would set timelines and accountability structure for how these cases must be handled going forward. WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW Public awareness remains essential. Díaz said she is shocked when people who have lived in Boulder their whole lives tell her they have not heard about Megan’s death. Díaz added that they want the public to keep pressure on Boulder County and support fundraising efforts for legal and forensic testing expenses. “Megan wasn’t a celebrity,” Trussell said. “She was just a cool kid going to Boulder, you know? Her story needs to be out there. I don’t want this to happen to another CU parent.” “For families who find themselves in this situation or any situation that involves a crime with a loved one, don’t immediately have blind faith that the institutions are going to support you or do what they are allegedly mandated to do,” he said. Díaz hopes other families will take a look at a tool that’s been helpful to them, called The Advocacy Blueprint, provided by Haley Gray Research. “Reach out for help because there are people out there who can provide guidance in these situations,” Díaz said. Tips can be submitted by calling or texting 678-636-9771 or by emailing TrussellTips@Vigilante-PR.com. DENVER VOICE MAY 2026 11
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