The bodies of two people were discovered by the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office July 18.
“[CVMO] responded to the 700 block of West Finnie Flat Road in Camp Verde in regards to a check welfare on the residents,” CVMO Chief Administrative Assistant Darby Martin said. “Upon arrival, deputies found two victims inside who were deceased.”
The pair — referred to by CVMO as victims — have been identified as 48-yearold Jessey W. Ross and his mother, 74-year-old Martene J. Ross. According to Martin, both were taken to the Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office, where preliminary findings indicated that the cause of death for Jessey Ross was a “self-inflicted strangulation.”
The cause of Martene Ross’s death was listed as undetermined. The investigation is pending toxicology reports along with the medical examiner’s final report.
As of Monday, July 31, the cause of Martene Ross’s death remained undetermined, according to Martin.
A GoFundMe campaign, “Jessey Ross and Martine Ross Fund,” was created by Christine Kessler of Santa Monica, Calif., on July 24.
“The Ross family has been a part of the Venice community since most of us can remember,” Kessler said. “Last week, the family suffered two huge losses. Jessey William Ross, younger brother of Jack Ross, Marlow Ross, and Dean Koehn, unexpectedly passed, as did their mother, Martine Ross.
“The family …. is coping with the heart-wrenching aftermath as this loss hits far and wide.”
According to Kessler, the family is not only dealing with the emotional shock of what has occurred: “They also need to deal with logistics, which come at a significant cost. This has been set up to ease the financial burden to the family as it makes arrangements to put Jessey and Martine to rest.”
Those interested in contributing to the campaign may visit gofundme. com/jessey-ross-and-martine-ross-fund.
The two spellings of Martene Ross’s name are the result of conflicting spellings in statements: CVMO spelled the name Martene, whereas Kessler referred to her as Martine.
