This was the case where a 16 year old girl was mysteriously found dead in her father's house after traveling there to spend a weekend with him. Though there is no proof that I know of, I have a certain suspicion about this case, and I'm wondering if anybody knows anything that I don't. Anyway, as the investigation was taking place, there seemed to be strong disagreement between the father and one or more mysterious third parties possibly involved concerning the father's possible role as a drug informant (he claims it's absolutely not true, even though there was some strong insistence to the contrary). The idea was tossed around that the murder may have happened in retaliation for Mr. Jennings blowing the whistle on someone. While I do not believe that Mr. Jennings was involved in his daughter's death, I'm not so sure that I believe him about not being a drug informant. I believe that he probably was, and may have thought that he would be looked at suspiciously if he admitted that there might be a possibility that his actions as an informant may have put his daughter at risk. In fact, I wouldn't even go so far as to rule out the possibility that he knows who killed his daughter but won't say it for fear that this person or any associates thereof might have it in for him. This is just what I think. If anybody knows anything, or if anyone has other theories about what might have happened, I'd like to know.

This was the case where a 16 year old girl was mysteriously found dead in her father's house after traveling there to spend a weekend with him. Though there is no proof that I know of, I have a certain suspicion about this case, and I'm wondering if anybody knows anything that I don't. Anyway, as the investigation was taking place, there seemed to be strong disagreement between the father and one or more mysterious third parties possibly involved concerning the father's possible role as a drug informant (he claims it's absolutely not true, even though there was some strong insistence to the contrary). The idea was tossed around that the murder may have happened in retaliation for Mr. Jennings blowing the whistle on someone. While I do not believe that Mr. Jennings was involved in his daughter's death, I'm not so sure that I believe him about not being a drug informant. I believe that he probably was, and may have thought that he would be looked at suspiciously if he admitted that there might be a possibility that his actions as an informant may have put his daughter at risk. In fact, I wouldn't even go so far as to rule out the possibility that he knows who killed his daughter but won't say it for fear that this person or any associates thereof might have it in for him. This is just what I think. If anybody knows anything, or if anyone has other theories about what might have happened, I'd like to know.

Hmmm...

1) I grew up about 30 miles north of Carson City,so I think that I'm somewhat familiar w/ the Carson City PD. While they are usually more interested in giving out speeding tickets than solving crimes, I have a hard time believing that they would "out" an informant when they were asked by someone. News like that could damage their reputation w/ other informants, as well as potentially jeopardize open investigations or prosecutions.

2) This was classified as a "homicide" because it was an unattended death and wasn't an obvious suicide. There was no evidence found that this death WAS a homicide.

In fact, not knowing the general overall health of Ms. Jennings, it's impossible to rule out a medical issue (or issues) that may have caused this. The tox screen seems to have ruled out a drug overdose or allergic reaction.

3) This isn't Italy, Mexico, Afghanistan or Colombia. Criminals rarely kill family members here,especially those not involved in criminal activities and almost never the children of person that has informed on them.

There are two good reasons for that:
a) Americans wouldn't "get the message" if they did, making the killing of an innocent relative,for want of a better word "useless." It would also very likely to bring down additional heat from:
b) The authorities. If killing the relatives of informants became a common practice to prevent testimony or in retaliation, it would force the police to crack down on various criminal activities in their jurisdiction,thus raising the price of doing business.A group doing this would be inviting retaliation from other criminal groups for the added costs and could also face destabilizing arrests and zealous prosecution.

Looking at this case from the outside in, this girl's death was made a "mystery" primarily by the rape allegation and by the obvious animosity between her parents. Since the rape allegation seems to have been addressed, that only leaves the poor relationship between the parents.

At this point,given the time has passed and the lack of proof that foul play was at work here,it's unlikely that this case will ever be "resolved",IMHO.

Hmmm...

1) I grew up about 30 miles north of Carson City,so I think that I'm somewhat familiar w/ the Carson City PD. While they are usually more interested in giving out speeding tickets than solving crimes, I have a hard time believing that they would "out" an informant when they were asked by someone. News like that could damage their reputation w/ other informants, as well as potentially jeopardize open investigations or prosecutions.

2) This was classified as a "homicide" because it was an unattended death and wasn't an obvious suicide. There was no evidence found that this death WAS a homicide.

In fact, not knowing the general overall health of Ms. Jennings, it's impossible to rule out a medical issue (or issues) that may have caused this. The tox screen seems to have ruled out a drug overdose or allergic reaction.

3) This isn't Italy, Mexico, Afghanistan or Colombia. Criminals rarely kill family members here,especially those not involved in criminal activities and almost never the children of person that has informed on them.

There are two good reasons for that:
a) Americans wouldn't "get the message" if they did, making the killing of an innocent relative,for want of a better word "useless." It would also very likely to bring down additional heat from:
b) The authorities. If killing the relatives of informants became a common practice to prevent testimony or in retaliation, it would force the police to crack down on various criminal activities in their jurisdiction,thus raising the price of doing business.A group doing this would be inviting retaliation from other criminal groups for the added costs and could also face destabilizing arrests and zealous prosecution.

Looking at this case from the outside in, this girl's death was made a "mystery" primarily by the rape allegation and by the obvious animosity between her parents. Since the rape allegation seems to have been addressed, that only leaves the poor relationship between the parents.

At this point,given the time has passed and the lack of proof that foul play was at work here,it's unlikely that this case will ever be "resolved",IMHO.

Well, you certainly do bring up some good points, and certainly did a good job of making me aware of some things that I might not have bothered to consider before. I do stand firm in my belief about one thing, though: I feel very strongly that this WAS definitely a murder. From what we're told about Natasha Jennings in the segment, she seemed like a generally happy and healthy teenager who, even if she was raped, still didn't seem like somebody who would likely kill herself, and there was nothing to indicate that it was any kind of accident or freak occurrence, either.

Well, you certainly do bring up some good points, and certainly did a good job of making me aware of some things that I might not have bothered to consider before. I do stand firm in my belief about one thing, though: I feel very strongly that this WAS definitely a murder. From what we're told about Natasha Jennings in the segment, she seemed like a generally happy and healthy teenager who, even if she was raped, still didn't seem like somebody who would likely kill herself, and there was nothing to indicate that it was any kind of accident or freak occurrence, either.

Well...the big four types of murder methods (shooting,stabbing,bludgeoning and strangulation) don't seem to be "in play" here as no one is stating that any of them are the cause of death.

Well...the big four types of murder methods (shooting,stabbing,bludgeoning and strangulation) don't seem to be "in play" here as no one is stating that any of them are the cause of death.

Well, I really don't know, but whatever the case may be, I just really feel that there's definitely something not kosher about it.

This segment was on Liftime yesterday and I have to disagree with all three scenarios posed by UM.

1. The Sexual Assault Scenario - This absolutely makes no sense to me whatsoever. Natasha went to a party with this "Chris" guy a few days before she was found dead. A friend of Natasha claims she told her that at the party, Natasha blacked out and "Chris" raped her. Although UM didn't come right out and say it, they seemed to indicate that "Chris" killed Natasha to silence her about the rape charge. But the autopsy report stated that she was not sexually assaulted. And the toxicology report stated that there were no drugs in her system. Natasha wasn't strangled, shot, stabbed, poisoned, or bludgeoned to death. So how exactly did "Chris" murder her then? And why did he wait days to murder her, while she could have already (and if the friend is telling the truth, then she already ahd) made incriminating statements to friends, family, or the authorities?

2. The Drug Informant Scenario - Another one that makes little sense to me. Her father denied being a drug informant. The police stated he was never an informant. But some lady off of the streets approaches Natasha's mother and tells her he is? How would she obtain that type of information? And the mother's claim that an officer flat out told her over the phone that he was an informant I do not belive at all. You can tell there is bad blood between Natasha's parents and it almost seems like Natasha's mother holds her husband responsible (albeit not directly) for her death. And this woman that approached Natasha's mother on the street seemed "skittish" and "scared" but what exactly was she scared of? She was on a public street, it wasn't like the Carson City PD had rogue agents out following this woman and/or Natasha's mother...so why act all nervous and scared? Seems to me like this woman didn't reveal anything to Natasha's mother on the street and waited for her to call because she needed time to concoct a story. It's possible this woman was making information up in an attempt to gain some sort of reward for information in the case. Hell she may have had a grudge against Natasha's father for all we know.

3. The Drug Overdose Scenario - This one is kind of laughable. If she was doing drugs on a Monday, but died on a Friday, how exactly would that be an overdose? The toxicology report stated there were no drugs in her system, doesn't an overdose require drugs being in your system? There seemed to be drug paraphernalia found around the house and it almost seems like LE is trying to grasp at straws to explain Natasha's death by suggesting a drug overdose.

I honestly think some undiscovered medical condition would be the cause of her death. Maybe she had a heart attack or a stroke. That definitely would seem more likely than the three scenarios UM presented.

Did they ever do an autopsy on her? I know in some parts of the country, autopsies are performed whenever a death is even remotely suspicious...

Did they ever do an autopsy on her? I know in some parts of the country, autopsies are performed whenever a death is even remotely suspicious...

Yes there was an autopsy and the segment never made any mention of any signs of a struggle, or any visible signs of the usual methods of murder (stab wounds, gunshot wounds, signs of strangulation, etc.).

BUMP

Any updates/new opinions on what happened to Natasha in this case? It's been awhile since I've seen the segment, but IMHO (as I've stated previously) I think this may have been some freak medical condition that no one was aware of. Does anyone recall what the cause of death was ruled as?

RE: freak medical condition....

I suppose long Q T syndrome could be a possibility. I'm not sure if a cardiac cause of death would be looked into during an autopsy on young woman with no known heart disease at the time this death occurred.

Severe mitral valve prolapse has been suspected in some unexplained deaths of young healthy women. I believe about 10% of the population has this problem. I've forgotten how many people have it that are symptom-free but there are people who have it and don't know. I have this and an irregular heartbeat. Up until I learned to notice the symptoms, I would pass out when standing up from a sitting or lying position. I almost injured my baby when I fell while passing out, which is one reason I started looking for the cause. I was 20 years old. Because of my young age, doctors wouldn't consider a heart condition, and were dismissive and condescending. The doctor who correctly diagnosed me said I'd have to start acting like an old woman. I did, ever since. I have to take my time standing up, making sure that I'm not going to begin to pass out. If I feel that I'm going to pass out at any time, I just sit where ever I am. Sometimes right in the aisle at walmart, which is not a pretty sight. lol

Another possibility could be maybe a tubal pregnancy or botched abortion. You'd think this would have been looked for and found in an autopsy. I forgot if this was a violent scene or if the girl was just found dead with no obvious cause.

I saw a tv program a couple years ago about a young woman, maybe 19 years old, who had (I think) gone for an abortion, they performed it and sent her home to rest. In any event, she'd been checked out medically for some reason, was considered to be healthy, and was resting. She was home with her parents, fell asleep on the couch, and just died there in her sleep. Seems that the cause was severe internal blood loss. Either they botched the abortion, or it was a tubal pregnancy that burst, killing her (that's still botched, tho, imo, since they didn't make sure they actually terminated the pregnancy), something along those lines.

Could these be possibilities in Natasha's case?

Interesting theories Trace. what if she had been smothered? meh i guess that would show up though right? (no signs of struggle were found) it just seems strange that it appears she "dropped dead". ruling out the violent ways people are usually murdered.

I had also thought of suffocation, but chances are that she would have struggled, and even if a murderer had cleaned up the scene, she would probably have bruises or cuts left on her body from fighting against a killer.

If there were no drugs or alcohol in her system, then she would have been sober and able to fight if someone were trying to suffocate her.

I need to watch this one again to see if it sounds like a freak medical problem or what. Heck, I don't even remember what decade this was....

ohkayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

The cop interviewed says her father is not now nor was he ever a "documented" police informant. no kiddin? Are any of them documented?

Neither of these guys are convincing liars. I think he was an informant but it doesn't have anything to do with his daughter's death. They shouldn't have even brought it up if they were going to give out his name and show his face on tv.

The segment says there was a small amount of drugs in the girl's nose and trace amounts of speed and cocaine on a piece of plastic found in the house. Then they say she had no drugs in her system. Drugs are a strong possibility in her cause of death. They were found at the scene and on her body. They might find the answers if they did second autopsy or redid the toxicology tests.

Dr. Wecht seems to think she took drugs that made her feel hot, so she took a cool bath, and then collapsed of a "spasm", whatever that means. Usually, I agree with his opinions. He was very thorough when commenting on the Jack Davis Jr. case. I'm assuming he was allowed to read the autopsy report before commenting on Natasha's case, but a spasm doesn't sound like a cause of death. I wonder if Dr. Wecht explained that further, but they just left that part out of the segment.

eta -

If she did have an undiagnosed heart issue that was aggravated by taking speed, the drugs would have been a factor without the cause of death being an overdose. Some people with heart arrhythmia are advised to avoid stimulants as strong as caffeine. Imagine what kind of damage street drugs would do.

Fentanyl OD?

Fentanyl OD?

Wow! It's 100 times more potent than morphine and is (was?) available in flavored lollipops. WTH?

I was aware of the fentanyl patch, and that people have accidentally overdosed while using them, but lollipops with heavy pain killers? Who's in so much pain that they need a lollipop rather than the patch or the medically administered oral or sublingual dose?

I wonder if they would have thought to test for fentanyl back in the 1997 tox screen. I'ts been around since the 1960s. If they weren't looking for fentanyl specifically, would it show up in a standard test for opiates? (Looks like this is classified as an opiate, however I don't understand all the scientific jargon used on the sites where I read up on this drug.)

GHB had crossed my mind as a possible drug that she might not have been screened for. In the segment, it's alleged that recently, she was essentially "date raped" at a party. I wonder if maybe the guy came over to visit her, using the ruse of an apology, if she knew him well enough for that to be sort of an appropriate thing to do, then slipped her GHB. Instead of it getting her under control, it killed her, explaining why there were no signs of sexual assault. Instead of making her become compliant as the assailant hoped, she died, so he fled the scene.

I believe Natasha was found to have small trace amounts of cocaine in her nose at the time of her death. And there was also signs of drugs found around the house. Her mother swears her daughter would "never use", but it's obvious she was. I forgot about the cocaine being found in her nose, I wonder if she took drugs and had some freak medical reaction to them? But could that have happened within the span of a week?

I guess we probably won't ever know the real truth about this, but if a freak, unknown medical condition is in fact what it is, then I think it's just terrible that everyone involved in the segment (her parents, her friend, the authorities) all went public on UM to play the blame game with each other when they might not have had to do so.

Also, given the lack of physical evidence that would indicate a serious crime, I think that the GHB scenario suggested by TracyLynnS could be a strong possibility, certainly more so than some of the other crazy, contrived theories that the segment focused on.

I thought it was extremely bizarre that they played the whole "sexual assault" angle into the segment the way they did. If Natasha was allegedly sexually assaulted days before she was found dead, why did she wait days before telling anyone? And if this "Chris" guy did in fact want her to keep quiet, just how was he able to kill her?

Not to be obscene, but in order for the autopsy to determine she could not have been sexually assaulted (period) she must have still been intact. At least that's what I got from the segment (why they could have concluded such a thing the week or so after it allegedly happened). My question is, was she drugged and did he fool around with her or say things to her to make her think that she'd been assaulted? I would hope she had a good reason to say so rather than just saying it. I don't buy the drug informant theory. It does indeed seem medical, but IIRC the stuff had been out of her system for a long time? I'd have to watch again. Usually I agree with Dr. Wecht and he seems the most astute in his assumptions and findings.

Regarding the sexual assault, I may be misunderstanding things, but I took it to mean that she didn't have signs of forced contact, or of unsuccessfully fighting off a sexual attack, such as certain kinds of bruising or internal or external injuries that are often found in that kind of assault.

I think (not positive at all) that if she were drunk, on drugs, or drugged against her will, she could have been date raped without obvious signs of an attack. Seems like I remember hearing about similar situations where there weren't any signs of rape or the signs were misinterpreted or weren't suspicious enough to make the victim seek medical attention.

By morning, Natasha may have realized that there'd been contact without her consent, which would lead to the rape allegation.

Regarding the sexual assault, I may be misunderstanding things, but I took it to mean that she didn't have signs of forced contact, or of unsuccessfully fighting off a sexual attack, such as certain kinds of bruising or internal or external injuries that are often found in that kind of assault.

I think (not positive at all) that if she were drunk, on drugs, or drugged against her will, she could have been date raped without obvious signs of an attack. Seems like I remember hearing about similar situations where there weren't any signs of rape or the signs were misinterpreted or weren't suspicious enough to make the victim seek medical attention.

By morning, Natasha may have realized that there'd been contact without her consent, which would lead to the rape allegation.

Do you remember how long before the party was supposed to have been before her death? I thought it was a while, so that's why I assumed the virgin angle. It seems weird that they would assume no assault a while after it had supposedly taken place, but I bet you are right about bruising and such being the eliminating factor. Maybe his attitude or demeanor caused her to consider it, and the pathologist could be totally wrong and it did happen.

Do you remember how long before the party was supposed to have been before her death? I thought it was a while, so that's why I assumed the virgin angle. It seems weird that they would assume no assault a while after it had supposedly taken place, but I bet you are right about bruising and such being the eliminating factor. Maybe his attitude or demeanor caused her to consider it, and the pathologist could be totally wrong and it did happen.

I think it was less than a week between the party and the death. Here's a quote from the unsolved.com site:

There were no signs of trauma. Still, investigators turned their attention to a young man Natasha had become close to, who we will call Chris.

Allegations had been raised that Chris had sexually assaulted her just days before. The investigation revealed that Natasha and Chris went to a party together a few nights before she died. Those who had been drinking were invited to wait until morning to drive home.

No one saw what Natasha and Chris did the rest of the night. According to Ingrid Cotar, a friend in California, a confused and traumatized Natasha called the following morning to tell her something had happened after the party.

“Natasha told me she was drinking and she had blacked out and that Chris had raped her.”

Chris was interrogated, but according to Scott Burau, detectives concluded that whatever happened between him and Natasha could not be considered criminal.

Between the fact that cocaine is cut with lots of different things and that it is a stimulant, my guess is that her death wasn't foul play but the family simply could not accept that fact.

I think this is similar to the story about Clifford Sherwood and Georges Gumbley, the story about the two boys disappearing together. From what I was able to find online, there was nothing about Georges Gumbley because his parents believed they drowned in the river.

The similarity being that the truth was likely the most probable scenario and the parent/s refusal to accept that resulted in the segment making it to Unsolved Mysteries.

The reason I think the "sexual assault angle" was bizarre was because the assault was alleged to have occurred days before Natasha's death. Why did "Chris" wait days to kill her and silence her? And why didn't Natasha report the assault sooner? I think it was more or less a girl who was embarassed with the way she acted (presumeably hooking up with "Chris" because she was too intoxicated/high) which is why there may have been a "I don't remember what happened" story she told her friends.

The reason I think the "sexual assault angle" was bizarre was because the assault was alleged to have occurred days before Natasha's death. Why did "Chris" wait days to kill her and silence her? And why didn't Natasha report the assault sooner? I think it was more or less a girl who was embarassed with the way she acted (presumeably hooking up with "Chris" because she was too intoxicated/high) which is why there may have been a "I don't remember what happened" story she told her friends.

exactly right the sexual rape allegations being a possible motive in her death are ridiculous. also they stated that they found traces of cocaine and meth in her nose. yet they still cant determine a cause of death which leads to my belief an autopsy was not performed. i normally dont like to judge anybody at face value but seeing natasha 's pictures and listening to others describe her leaves me to believe her mother that she wouldnt use. if anything she probably tried pot once.

also i read something somewhere about this case stating that a new carson city district attorney is denying an inquest to re-open an investigation in natasha's murder. apparently they closed the case? now her mother (out of her own pocket) has to hire a lawyer, private investigator, and i think coroner to insue justice for her daughter. her mother however doesn't have the money to do so so she setup a trust fund to hopefully get the investigation started. i'll post the information needed to donate to this trust fund.
i believe natasha's mother summoned a request to investigate her daughter's death which was denied at state level but was granted by the supreme court in 2009. i smell corruption in carson city. if i'm correct i believe there has been a recent autopsy showing blunt force trauma to her head. i always believed she was murdered and found it interesting that a young healthy teenager who (IMO) didnt use drugs nor had suicidal history was painted the picture as a person on a weeks drug/drinking binge.

I think Natasha was most certainly using something, or else traces of cocaine and methamphetamines would not have been found in her nose. The detective (and Cyril Wecht who was interviewed for the segment) both concluded that she could have died of an OD without having anything detected in her system during the autopsy. I wonder how this is even possible? But until there is other evidence brought to light, I'd have to say this is the most plausible scenario.

The detective (and Cyril Wecht who was interviewed for the segment) both concluded that she could have died of an OD without having anything detected in her system during the autopsy. I wonder how this is even possible?

I might have an explanation based on something I read in one of Wecht's books about Marilyn Monroe's autopsy. There was a lot of medical jargon but this was the gist of it.

Some believe that Marilyn Monroe was murdered because a lethal dose of Nembutal was discovered in her bloodstream. However, during the autopsy, examination of Monroe's stomach contents revealed no trace of Nembutal. There are only two other ways drugs could have entered her bloodstream - suppository or intravenous injection.

Examination of Monroe's anus revealed no evidence of a suppository. No needle marks were found either. A needle wasn't found at the scene, so some theorized that a lethal injection must have given by someone else who disposed of the needle elsewhere and the marks were missed during the autopsy.

Wecht offered a simpler explanation. He said that Monroe was a regular user of Nembutal and her body was therefore likely accustomed to receiving the Nembutal regularly and had "adapted" so it could break down the medication faster. Wecht hypothesized that Monroe's stomach had already broken down the Nembutal completely just before the doses reached lethal levels in her bloodstream. Thus, you could have a situation where it appears upon autopsy that the overdose medication wasn't ingested orally when in fact it was.

I think Natasha was most certainly using something, or else traces of cocaine and methamphetamines would not have been found in her nose. The detective (and Cyril Wecht who was interviewed for the segment) both concluded that she could have died of an OD without having anything detected in her system during the autopsy. I wonder how this is even possible? But until there is other evidence brought to light, I'd have to say this is the most plausible scenario.

i understand where your coming from but i just dont buy anythin carson city LE has stated. i dont believe an autopsy was routinely performed like it should have been. i believe they found a cornered baggy with traces of coke and meth (speedball) not even in the same room where she died and just assumed thats possibly how she died. i also believe they found more drugs in the house that none of it had anything to with natasha and it was all either natasha's father's, his sisters (natasha's aunt) or both ot theirs.

i understand where your coming from but i just dont buy anythin carson city LE has stated. i dont believe an autopsy was routinely performed like it should have been. i believe they found a cornered baggy with traces of coke and meth (speedball) not even in the same room where she died and just assumed thats possibly how she died. i also believe they found more drugs in the house that none of it had anything to with natasha and it was all either natasha's father's, his sisters (natasha's aunt) or both ot theirs.

If Natasha's family were regular users, would it be that much of a stretch to say that she also dabbled in narcotics?

If Natasha's family were regular users, would it be that much of a stretch to say that she also dabbled in narcotics?
(IMO) i think its a very slim possibility that she would even think about trying a speedball or coke. remember natasha lived with her mom tammy in or close to stockton california. tammy wasn't letting natasha visit her father because of tammy and his differences. tammy felt that was unfair so she allowed her to visit. tammy obviously knew what they were into. she knew it was an unsafe unstable place for a minor but felt bad bout not letting natasha see her own father. now i wonder how bad tammy feels FOR letting natasha visit. tammy obviously left natasha's father and got custody of their children for a reason. she grew up and he never did. oh yea one quick question, why do you o anyone else think the aunt (who "discovered" natasha's body) was never interviewed on UM? i found that odd.

The UM Facebook page posted about this case yesterday. Was a definite cause of death ever determined?

The UM Facebook page posted about this case yesterday. Was a definite cause of death ever determined?

The segment was very confusing with regards to an autopsy. I remember the investigator saying it was possible that Natasha could have done drugs several days prior to her death, and somehow OD'ed on them. That makes no sense to me. He said a toxicology report would show zero trace in the system, even if they found evidence of it on their person or in their surroundings (Natasha had trace amounts of cocaine found in her nose.)

Without a definite cause of death, I'm finding it hard to believe she was murdered. There doesn't seem to be any evidence if I am understanding this correctly (no defensive wounds...actually, no wounds, period. No signs of struggle. No drugs in her system). I think she probably had some kind of undiagnosed medical condition. It does happen. Happened to a family I know; their teenaged son had a heart attack and died with no warning whatsoever. No drug use, either.

The drug informant theory is absolutely ridiculous. It's based on nothing else than some strange woman supposedly telling the mother her daughter was killed by drug dealers as revenge. She knows all that, but can't provide names or anything else? Seems like a BS story made up by the mom to blame the dad. If she really was murdered because the dad was an informant, you'd expect him to be more angry and the cops more eager to get the scumbqgs who killed a young teenage girl. What would prevent them from doing that. What would need covering up so badly they can't get any justice?

But there isn't even any evidence of foul play. I think the drug overdose theory is the least ridiculous, but why didn't they find any drugs in her system? So maybe she had in fact been using drugs in the days before her death, but she simply died from natural causes or some unknown condition.