Hiker, 25, Found Dead in Washington Believed to Have Been 'Under the Influence of Mushrooms': Officials
Massiel Tolentino/GoFundMe AlisonStar Molaf
A 25-year-old New Jersey woman was found dead last week after going hiking in Washington state.
The hiker, identified by authorities as Alisonstar E. Molaf of Ridgefield Park, got separated from a friend while hiking on Wallace Falls Trail in Gold Bar on March 18, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
Although initial attempts to locate the hiker that night were unsuccessful, "early Saturday morning, searchers returned to the location and located the victim's body down river from the Wallace Falls Trail," the sheriff's office said in the statement.
"It is believed the two hikers were under the influence of mushrooms," they added, noting that Molaf's death "appears to be accidental."
A cause and matter of death will be determined by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office.
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In 2021, the use of non-commercial psychedelics, which includes psilocybin mushrooms, was decriminalized in Seattle. Snohomish County, where Molaf's body was found, neighbors Kings County, where Seattle is located.
A bill to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin for adults over the age of 25 throughout Washington state was introduced in January.
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Molaf graduated from Montclair State University in 2020, according to her social media posts. She previously attended Hasbrouck Heights High School.
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The 25-year-old was remembered by loved ones as an "angel."
"The memories You have created with Family and Friends will always be remembered and never forgotten. You will truly be missed and were taken far too soon from us. We love you, fly high Queen," an organizer wrote on a GoFundMe set up to help raise money for her family.
The campaign, which raised $7,000, has since been closed.
