The person found dead in an overturned vehicle in a ditch in rural Weld County has been identified as a 20-year-old Evans woman missing since Nov. 30.
The Larimer County Coroner’s Office identified Kaylee Russell as the person found, according to a Monday afternoon news release.
Russell was last seen at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30 at the Loveland/Johnstown Park-N-Ride, when she left her father, Berthoud resident Richard Russell, after he rode along with her on her route as a package delivery driver. She headed to a friend’s house in Pierce around 6 p.m. and her father called her around 6:10 p.m. to make sure a headlight he had adjusted that day was working and spoke with her briefly, the last time anyone spoke with her.
The coroner’s office determined she died later that night from combined effects of blunt force injuries and cold exposure, the release states, though her vehicle was not found until around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
Kaylee Russell’s mother, Rebecca, described her daughter as a “beautiful soul” who “loved hard.” She praised Russell’s independence, noting she could be “hard headed and stubborn.”
“You never had to wonder where you stood with her,” her mother said in a text message. “She stood up for what she believed.”
This is the second loss Russell’s family has suffered in recent years. Russell’s brother, Isaiah, died in March 2023.
“We are devastated to go through this again,” Rebecca said.
The coroner’s office said it will not release any further information, directing all questions regarding the investigation to Colorado State Patrol. Colorado State Patrol’s Vehicular Crimes unit is investigating the crash.
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