Russian authorities say 25-year-old Colin Madsen from Missouri died from hypothermia in Buryatia under the influence of drugs. His mother, Dana Madsen Calcutt, a doctor, is determined to prove that he was murdered, and has recently received a forensics report that concludes Colin’s death was a homicide. US embassy officials say they can’t acknowledge homicide as the cause of death unless Russia does this, which is unlikely to happen. But Dana is not giving up on finding the truth.
Colin had been studying Russian in Irkutsk and was in Buryatia on a hiking trip with friends. He had hiked in the mountains there before and loved the outdoors, volunteering with environmental groups during his time in Siberia. In the early hours of March 27, 2016, he walked out of the cabin where he and his friends were staying, probably to use the outhouse. He went missing and Dana flew to Russia to participate in the search for him. Colin’s body was found eight days later in the woods outside the town of Arshan. His left arm was extended and his fists were clenched.
