As the case of missing Texas mother Christina Powell comes to a close, officials revealed that her cause of death was an accident.
Powell, 39, who went missing back in July, was found by a security guard in the front passenger seat outside a San Antonio shopping center. According to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s office, the mother of two boys died of “hyperthermia complicating ethanol intoxication.”
Hyperthermia happens when body temperature rises abnormally high, resulting in overheating. Temperatures around the time Powell went missing were listed in the high-90s.
Her cause of death was released to the public as the San Antonio Police Department says it is now closing the case. Since no foul play is suspected, the investigation comes to an end.
“We did not find any evidence leading to a criminal investigation,” the department told Fox News.
Powell was last seen on July 5, leaving her house to go to work. She had called her employer earlier that morning to let them know she would be late, but she never arrived.
Powell’s Nissan Rogue had been parked in the Huebner Oaks Center parking lot for about a week before her body was discovered on July 23. The security guard who found her smelled a strong odor coming from the vehicle before seeing Powell.
Her purse, which contained her ID, was located with her inside the car. Her body showed no signs of trauma and was taken to the coroner’s office for an autopsy.
