A final autopsy report for an Overland Park woman – whose remains were found in northeast Cowley County earlier this summer – have left the exact cause of her death unclear.
The Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center in Wichita listed both the cause and manner of death for 81-year-old Jerry McConnell as “undetermined,” according to the report obtained by Cowley Post through an open records request to Cowley County Administrator Lucas Goff.
The report was signed by deputy medical examiner Dr. Harley Schainost.
McConnell’s remains were in an “advanced state of decomposition” and largely skeletal, limiting examination. Forensic anthropologists noted evidence of prior trauma to ribs and the sternum that showed some signs of healing.
Those injuries were not considered lethal, and internal organs could not be evaluated. The report concluded it’s unknown whether her death resulted from a medical event, exposure, injury – or some combination – and said the findings may be revisited if new information emerges.
According to the autopsy report, McConnell was last seen by her family May 14 when she left to run an errand. She was later reported missing by her son.
A rancher near Ferguson Ranch in Cowley County told investigators he observed her alive, from a distance, on May 15.
A statewide Silver Alert was issued on May 17. Three days later, McConnell’s gray 2009 Honda Accord was discovered abandoned on private property near the 4000 block of 327th Road in rural Cowley County.
Search efforts intensified immediately and continued daily across a large land area. On June 11, while searching near 333rd Road, authorities discovered human remains about three-quarters-of-a-mile from where her vehicle had been located. McConnell’s personal belongings were also found at the site.
The final autopsy report indicated the woman had been deceased three to four weeks before her remains were recovered. You can read the full report for yourself here: McConnell Jerry – Final – Peters. (Please note that some details may be too graphic for some readers.)