Back in March, a Salt River woman went missing and later her body was discovered inside a Scottsdale canal. City police have since been investigating her death, but the department is now closing that case.
Documents obtained by KJZZ News — including an autopsy and a toxicology report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner — found that Passion Schurz had overdosed on fentanyl.
Despite drowning being listed as the official cause of death, the manner remains “undetermined.” She didn’t suffer any signs of lethal trauma. The 28-year-old mother from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community had a history of substance use, depression and suicidal ideation.
The Scottsdale Police Department told KJZZ that the circumstances surrounding how Schurz ended up in the canal are still unknown to detectives. For now, they say her case will stay closed — unless new information is offered up. The public is being urged to call the city’s anonymous tip line: (480) 312-8477.
The passing of Schurz was widely felt throughout the Valley tribe, which boasts more than 9,000 enrolled members. Their grief and mourning was most visible during an April candlelight vigil in the wake of her death.
This “profound loss” was also an opportunity for Martin Harvier, president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, to encourage his urban tribe “to come together in care and support for one another.”
“Please check in on your loved ones, reach out to those who may need it, and continue to look out for each other,” said Harvier in a Mar. 30 statement. “Our strength has always been in our unity and the way we lift one another up.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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