Autopsy results for a 28-year-old California woman who died suddenly at the Rainbow Family Gathering three months ago revealed a heart condition caused her death, the Skamania County Prosecutor’s Office said this week.
Amber Kellar, of Weed, Calif., died July 6 from a mitral valve prolapse, Adam Kick, Skamania County’s prosecuting attorney, reported in an email to The Columbian on Wednesday.
A mitral valve prolapse occurs when the valve that separates the upper and lower chambers of the left side of the heart does not close properly, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.
Skamania County Sheriff Dave Brown sparked controversy with statements he made shortly after Kellar’s death suggesting she died from an apparent drug overdose. The sheriff’s office released a written statement the following day stating investigators had found no evidence drugs played a role in Kellar’s death.