Death of Colorado mother and son in Canyonlands National Park investigated as murder-suicide

A mother and her 6-year-old son, reported missing out of Colorado, have been discovered dead in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, and their deaths are being investigated as a murder-suicide.

Officials have not yet released the name of either person, but investigators with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Utah say the two were reported missing out of Colorado by the woman's husband and the boy's father.

The sheriff's office says park rangers were called about a suspicious vehicle in the Island in the Sky district near the northeast end of the park on the Shafer Trail. Rangers checked on the car and found the boy inside, unresponsive. The mother was found outside the car, nearby.

The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The mother was also pronounced dead.

"This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family during this incredibly difficult time," the San Juan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "Our investigators are diligently working on this case. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest any ongoing threat to public safety. Based on all evidence obtained so far, this case is being investigated as a homicide & suicide."