Genari death officially ruled a suicide

The death of 16-year-old Sarah Rose Genari has officially been ruled a suicide. No other detail regarding the manner or believed timing of her death was included in a May 18 press release from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.|

Genari’s body was discovered May 8 less than a half mile from her family’s home just off Granny Smith Road on Apple Mountain. The discovery was made in a thickly-vegetated, vacant lot 12 days after her disappearance. The Warren County High School student was reported to have “walked off from her residence” around 10 p.m. the evening of Thursday, April 26.

Cleared vegetation at right marks location where Genari’s body was found – Photos/Roger Bianchini

A memorial cross soon appeared at the site

A search began that evening and eventually grew to include 21 law enforcement and search and rescue agencies. That search was called of at nightfall on May 1 according to a May 3 press release from the WCSO.

The May 10 sheriff’s office announcement of the discovery of Genari’s body cited the assistance of the Fauquier, Frederick and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Offices, the Prince William County Police Department, the Virginia State Police and Dogs East.”
Genari’s body was discovered around 2 p.m. the afternoon of May 8, according to the sheriff’s office. Neighbors reported hearing the sound of a chain saw clearing out vegetation that afternoon.

From the use of dogs and thermal imaging, as well as the sheer number of involved agencies it appeared there was concern for Genari’s physical well being from the outset of the search.

FOIA requests to the state coroner and Warren County Sheriff’s Office for cause of death were denied due to what was at the time still an open investigation. It was not clear from the May 18 press release whether that investigation has now been closed. Attempts to reach a sheriff’s office spokesperson for further detail were unsuccessful prior to publication of this story. Updates will be added as received.

Staging area for search for Sarah Genari on April 27, the day after she disappeared – she was found on May 8 about a half mile up Granny Smith Road