Two dead in Yosemite community. What Mariposa County sheriff says about the case

Two people were found dead in Yosemite West, a private community accessed from within Yosemite National Park, around 4 p.m. Thursday.

The case is believed to be a murder-suicide, said the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating alongside a California Department of Justice crime lab in Fresno.

“At this time, we believe the female shot the male multiple times before taking her own life,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release Friday afternoon. “There are no additional persons of interest.”

Yosemite West is located between Yosemite Valley and Wawona off Wawona Road (Highway 41 outside Yosemite), near the junction to Glacier Point Road.

Officials said the victim and suspect are believed to be visitors to Mariposa County. Their names have not been shared, pending notification of their families.

“The investigation is still in the very early stages,” the sheriff’s office said, “additional details will be released once the investigation is complete.”

This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 2:20 PM.