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Jensen Boys' Cause of Death: Hyperthermia

by KREX News Room
by Cori Coffin

Story Created: Jan 9, 2013 at 12:05 AM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 10, 2013 at 12:34 PM MDT

MESA COUNTY, Colo. - Tuesday, Mesa County Coroner's Office released its report on 2-year-old William Jensen and 4-year-old Tyler Jensen.

The cause of death is hyperthermia. The manner of death is accidental.

"Continued exposure to excessive heat can lead to hyperthermia. Older adults, young children, and those with chronic medical conditions are most likely to suffer from heat-related illnesses and are at a higher rate of death," explained Tamara Capp, with Mesa County Health and Human Services.

As opposed to hypothermia, which is common in the winter, hyperthermia is an elevated temperature, or excessive heating, of the body. The findings are leading people to wonder how this could have happened on a winter night, on a snowy mountain.

Mesa County District Attorney Pete Hautzinger told NewsChannel 5 this is very rare case.

"The coroner's calling it an accident and not a homicide. The cause of death is hyperthermia, which is something I had never heard of in 20-plus years of law enforcement, and not many other people have either," explained Hautzinger.

The Jensen boys were discovered unconscious and unresponsive in mother Heather Jensen's vehicle on Powderhorn Road off Highway 65 in the evening hours of Nov. 27. William passed away at the scene. Tyler died Dec. 3 after fighting for his life in a Denver hospital for a week.

The past six weeks have been difficult for family members, loved ones, and even the local community as they waited for answers.

"It has been a roller coaster ride. It has been a long time since this family has seen peace and it will be a long time before they do see peace ... they need rest ... they are tired. They are so tired." Heather Aspy, a close friend, expressed grief as she spoke about the Mathena family.

Eric Jensen, the boys' father and Diane and Robert Mathena's son, died in a car accident in Garfield County Oct. 10.

"There's not a day that goes by that we don't think about them," added Rodger Mathena, the boys' step-uncle.

The matter is now in the District Attorney's hands. Hautzinger must decide whether or not any criminal charges will be filed. It's a responsibility he's not allowing public pressure to weigh in on.

"This is a very difficult, complicated case ... and I'm not prepared to make a decision yet. There's a lot of analysis that I still want to do ... which is why I want to take my time and be as careful as I can to make the right decision about where we go from here," he explained.

Hautzinger doesn't expect to have any updates in the case until next week.

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OMG! said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 9:34 PM

Hey Hatzy DA in 20 years you never heard of hyperthermia? You live in the freakin desert! I heard of hyperthermia causing death within 1 year of law enforcement. Your just looking for excuse to not charge this case. Stand up for once let a jury decide not you!

just curious said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 4:16 PM

dear anony you seem to think you know so much maybe you were the one getting persona non gratas bj!her husband wasnt divorcing her maybe you had the hots for him!if she was sooo awful how do you know her? must take one to know one!!!!!

Anony said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 3:55 PM

Per Devils Advo: We do know what she was doing, she is a PLAYER! It is well known in the Community that she was cheating on her husband with several men at a time. As well as her addiction's to pills, she has other bad life style choice's. There is no excuse for what happened! It is because of her that her children perished the way they did, these are all things that a responsible parent thinks about before they act. Actions speak louder than words, especially yours..

wondering said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 2:41 PM

so where is the guy in all this??

Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 11:59 AM

To Persona non Grata... Well said. Probably not to far from the truth.

Devils Advocate said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 10:49 AM

This is a very sad and tragic story. As parents we all do they best we can with what we are given, none of us are perfect. It's a shame that someone speculates as to what their mother was actually doing. You weren't there, you don't know what she was doing or why she did it. Only she knows and unfortunately she has to live with what happened and I'm willing to bet it's going to haunt her for the rest of her life. I'm not saying what she did was right, I'm just saying those of us who believe we live in glass houses should not cast stones.

Persona non Grata said on Wednesday, Jan 9 at 10:39 AM

"The findings are leading people to wonder how this could have happened on a winter night, on a snowy mountain." its not much of a wonderment, obviously she had them all bundled up because they were playing in the snow previously, then placed in a vehicle with its heater blasting on high for 90 minutes while she gave some guy a BJ for drugs. Lovely.

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