In the quiet expanse near Canon City, Colorado, a tragic story unfolded, marking the end of a painful journey for 33-year-old Sara Eldritch. On a Friday in late March of 2018, she and her twin sister, Amanda, were discovered in a vehicle near the majestic Royal Gorge Bridge. Both had succumbed to gunshot wounds in what authorities would later describe as an apparent suicide pact.
The sisters, who were from Broomfield, had traveled roughly 130 miles to this serene yet somber location, where their lifelong struggle would tragically conclude.
Sara and her sister had lived a life defined by a severe and debilitating battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Their condition was so profound that it led them to extreme behaviors, including showering for up to ten hours at a time and using copious amounts of rubbing alcohol to disinfect their skin. This internal war, as they once described it, had been a constant companion since their early teenage years, a relentless torment that overshadowed their existence.
In a courageous attempt to reclaim their lives, Sara and Amanda became pioneers in the medical field, undergoing a groundbreaking deep brain stimulation surgery in 2015. They were the first in Colorado to receive this treatment for OCD, a procedure that offered a glimmer of hope. For a time, it seemed to work, with Sara expressing a newfound ability to understand and manage her anxiety. The sisters even shared their story publicly, appearing on the television show 'The Doctors' to discuss their experiences. However, the relief was not absolute, as some compulsive behaviors persisted, a testament to the insidious nature of their illness. The Fremont County Sheriff's Office investigated the deaths but soon concluded that it was an isolated incident, with no threat to the public, and no suspects were ever sought.
