The body of missing teen Alyssa Byrne was located behind a snow bank about a mile from where she was last seen -- where the Snowglobe Festival had been. This news source clarifies that the teen may have tried to walk three miles in the below-freezing weather, and might have become lost and disoriented. In other words, it's an accepted theory that the missing 19-year-old Petaluma woman might have froze to death.
Her cause of death isn't yet known, but police officials acknowledge that neither foul play or suicide are suspected in her case. This leaves the theory that she might have gotten lost while trying to walk from the festival to her motel room. Temperatures in the South Lake Tahoe area were below freezing on New Year's Eve when she went missing, and the cold wind chill didn't help. Hypothermia is certainly a factor worth considering.
However, toxicology results will be pending to determine whether or not Alyssa Byrne was under the influence of drugs or alcohol -- as she had been accused of being in various media reports. Here's to hoping her loved ones get the answers they need. They certainly deserve to be kept in the thoughts of the community after losing this young woman. It seems to be a tragic occurrence that could have been avoided.
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