A New Jersey woman who was found dead after being reported missing during a hike in Seattle, Washington State, last Friday was believed to have been under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms at the time, according to officials.
The 25-year-old woman, Alisonstar Molaf, of Ridgefield Park, was hiking with a male friend when the two got separated on a trail in Gold Bar, Washington, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Molaf was found dead on Saturday morning in the Wallace River by first responders, authorities said. The other hiker was found safe.
“It is believed the two hikers were under the influence of mushrooms,” the local sheriff’s office told NJ Advance Media. “The death appears to be accidental.”
AllTrails considered Molaf and her friend’s three-hour hike “moderately challenging.” Molaf was single and attended Hasbrouck Heights High School and Montclair State University, according to her profile on Facebook.
“To Our Angel, The memories You have created with Family and Friends will always be remembered and never forgotten,” a friend wrote on a fundraising site soliciting money for Molaf’s funeral expenses. “You will truly be missed and were taken far too soon from us.”
Seattle has decriminalized magic mushrooms, which contain the natural compound psilocybin. However, mushrooms are legal in neighboring Oregon. State Legislators are working on a bill that will legalize the drug for therapeutic use.
