Autopsy says he died of hypothermia
The name of a person found dead last Tuesday, Feb. 22, on a snowy hillside just south of the Ashland city limits was announced Monday by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Matthew Daniel McCormick, 37, of Medford, was discovered by hikers in the middle of a trail in the Paradise Lane area, about a mile southeast of Southern Oregon University.
Sheriff’s deputies and the Ashland Police Department were called to the scene and confirmed the man was deceased, according to a sheriff’s office news release. A Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team was called out due to snowy conditions and the remote location of the body.
An Oregon State Police forensic pathologist conducted an autopsy Wednesday and determined the cause and manner of death as hypothermia due to exposure, the release said. The low temperature in Ashland on Feb. 22 was 22 degrees, according to National Weather Service records. The autopsy also determined that the victim appeared to have sustained injuries from a fall and alcohol may have been a factor.
Toxicology reports are pending, and there is no apparent evidence of foul play. Next of kin was notified.
Source: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office news release. Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at betling@ashland.news, or call or text him at 541-631-1313.
