Nearly two month after she was found dead in Seattle, a cause of death has been determined in the case of actress Misty Upham: According to People, a Seattle medical examiner has determined that the August: Osage County star died of blunt force trauma to the head and torso, though the circumstances of how she received the blows remains undetermined.
It's a shocking twist in the already tragic, confusing case — according to multiple reports, police are said to believe that the injuries were not caused by foul play and that they may have committed suicide, Upham's family, as well as her close friend and August: Osage County co-star Juliette Lewis, have released statements claiming that Upham felt threatened by police and was not suicidal.
Upham was found dead in a Seattle-area ravine on Oct. 16, after her family reported her missing on Oct. 6. Previously, Upham's father, Charles Upham, released a lengthy post on social media claiming that his daughter's death was accidental: "She did not commit suicide...We believe she ran into the wooded area behind her apartment to hide from the police. The area in question has a hidden drop off and evidence suggests that she slipped and fell off of the steep embankment when she tried to get out of a view from the road. She simply did not see the drop-off." In response, police released a statement denying wrongdoing in her death.
Upham was 32.
