A Lynchburg teenager who disappeared last November and whose remains were found nearly a week later in a heavily wooded area died of hypothermia, investigators revealed at an afternoon press conference in Lynchburg. Eighteen-year-old Jamisha Monique Gilbert disappeared on November 29 and her 2002 Honda Accord was found crashed about two miles from the location her remains were later discovered on December 4.
Her disappearance, following on the heels of the August disappearance of Nelson County teenager Alexis Murphy, prompted fears that the two cases could be connected. Investigators appear to have put those concerns to rest today, announcing there were no signs of foul play in Gilbert’s death, which has been ruled accidental.
According to reports by Lynchburg television station WSET and The Roanoke Times, investigators at the press conference said toxicology tests revealed the presence of THC, the active compound in marijuana, in Gilbert’s blood. During the nights Gilbert was missing, temperatures dropped into the upper teens, according to records at Weatherunderground.com.
According to WSET, investigators said Gilbert suffered abrasions to her face and feet and hundreds of small scratches but showed no sign of having been physically or sexually assaulted. A dash-cam video captured a black female wearing clothes consistent with Gilbert’s running away from downtown Lynchburg in the direction of the woods where she was eventually found, investigators said at the press conference, according to WSET. The female was alone, and the video did not show any evidence she was being chased.
Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Doucette said no charges will be filed.
This is a developing story…