Non-binary student found dead in Idaho after being missing for a month
A student was found dead in Boise County Idaho this week after being missing for nearly a month.
Simon Bush was last seen at their home in the county on September 24th.
The Boise County coroner and police are currently investigating the death.
Boise Police Sergeant Justin Kendall in a statement: “Sierra’s disappearance has been suspicious from the beginning and this is a tragic discovery for everyone who knows her.
“Every missing person’s case is initially investigated as being suspicious and Sierra was not the type to disappear without telling anyone.
“For weeks, our detectives have been following up on leads and our investigation is ongoing. Bush’s family emphasised in a statement that she was a great student who was involved with her campus culture.
“When her mother last spoke to her Sierra was happy and in good spirits, there was not the slightest sign of any trouble whatsoever. Sierra was very talented individual and had so much to offer the world in her future years.”
A GoFundMe has been created in memory of Bush.
The Boise State University Gender Equity Centre confirmed the student went by Simon on campus in a statement: “It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the death of one of our students. Sierra Bush, who also went by Simon, was a part of our campus for a brief time, but their presence was felt by many.
“In support of our grieving community we offer the Gender Equity Centre and confidential support to all who may be struggling to make sense of this situation, and process this deep loss.
“In the coming hours, we will work diligently to create a space where we can come together, in community, to be support for one another and acknowledge the impact of the student’s presence on our campus and in our lives.”
The Idaho Statesman reported that around 250 people attended a vigil for Bush on Wednesday evening.
Samantha McGraw, one of Bush’s friends, said Bush switched between feminine and masculine identities. “They, them, she, her, he, him … It didn’t matter. She was all about embracing who you really are.”
Another friend remembered Bush fondly: “If I can be as weird as I am, you can be as ‘you’ as you are,” Evan O’Beine, quoted Bush to the Statesman.
