The County Coroner released the results of an autopsy of a young couple who died in a murder-suicide in Joshua Tree National Park. The decomposed remains of Joseph Orbeso, 21, of Lakewood and Rachel Nguyen, 20, of Westminster were found Oct. 15. 2017. They were last seen July 27 when they left an Air BnB rental near Joshua Tree to go hiking. Sheriff’s detectives say Orbeso shot Nguyen with a .40 caliber handgun and then turned the weapon on himself. Orbeso family members have said they believe the murder-suicide was a result of desperation after the couple became lost in the park and ran out of food and water. The autopsy offers nothing to support or contradict that belief. The couple’s remains were found about 2 miles from where they parked their car. Detectives learned the couple obtained hallucinogenic drugs prior to entering the park and they found a hallucinogenic mushroom in a backpack under Orbeso’s body. The toxicology test did not reveal any drugs in Orbeso’s system at the time of death. A separate test on Nguyen found trace elements of cannabis in her system. Searchers discovered the bodies of Orbeso and Nguyen side by side, under a cat’s claw tree, against a canyon wall. Detectives believe the couple might have been seeking shelter from the blazing sun. Nguyen’s left arm was extended under the remains of Orbeso. Orbeso’s right arm was resting on Nguyen’s left hip. The revolver, containing three spent cartridge casings in the cylinder and three empty chambers, was found buried in the sand next to Orbeso’s left leg. While Orbeso and Nguyen each died from a single gunshot to the head, it hasn’t been determined if the third shot might have been fired to gain the attention of searchers, said a Sheriff’s spokesman.
