Authorities in Colorado have confirmed the cause of death for a 20-year-old woman whose disappearance prompted an intense, multi-day search before she was ultimately found deceased inside her vehicle.

Kaylee Russell was reported missing after she vanished on Sunday, Nov. 30, a case that quickly drew widespread attention across the state. According to an alert issued by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Russell was “expected to arrive at a friend’s home” after her father dropped her off at a Park-N-Ride, but she “never showed up.”

In the hours before she went missing, Russell’s father helped her replace a flat tire, CBS affiliate KCNC-TV reported. Later that same day, investigators say her cellphone “stopped sharing any data,” and she “failed to show up for work the next day,” according to a GoFundMe created to support her family. The page has raised more than $22,000 as of Monday, Dec. 8.

The search for Russell came to a heartbreaking end on Thursday, Dec. 4, when emergency crews responding to an unrelated call discovered a submerged vehicle near Timnath. The black 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan—later confirmed to be Russell’s—was found “submerged in water” off the east side of Larimer County Road 1. Divers located a body inside.

While the CBI initially did not publicly identify the deceased individual, the agency deactivated its missing endangered alert the following day, noting that Russell “has been located.”

On Monday, Dec. 8, the Larimer County Coroner’s Office formally confirmed the remains were Russell’s. Officials said she was “found inside her vehicle after crashing into the canal and was pronounced dead at the scene.” Their investigation determined that “based on the circumstances of the scene and our death investigation, it is believed the decedent died on November 30, 2025.”

Her cause of death was ruled “combined effects of blunt force injuries and cold exposure,” and her manner of death was classified as accidental. The coroner’s office added that no additional details are expected to be released.

As the community mourns, Russell’s loved ones are remembering her for her energy, kindness, and fierce loyalty. Her mother, Rebecca Russell, shared an emotional tribute with FOX station KDVR, calling her daughter “a beautiful soul and loved hard.” She added, “She called me daily to tell me even the smallest things or when her bosses praised her. You never had to wonder where you stood with her. She stood up for what she believed.”

Family friend Kristi Dahlstrom echoed those sentiments, describing the 20-year-old as “such an amazing, resilient girl.” Dahlstrom told KDVR that “Kaylee was absolutely a hard worker. Yes, sassy and stubborn at times. But that was what made her so beautiful.”

Russell’s death leaves a profound void for those who knew her, but her family and friends say they will continue to honor the spirited young woman whose life touched so many in just 20 years.