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Woman found under bridge was daughter of former Portola Valley mayor; service Feb. 20

A memorial service for Megan Mitchell, 34, the daughter of former Portola Valley mayor Kent Mitchell and Jo Ann Mitchell, will be held at noon Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Family Farm on Portola Road, Mr. Mitchell said Thursday.

Ms. Mitchell was found dead Wednesday under a bridge in San Mateo. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is calling the incident a suicide, press officer Lt. Ray Lunny said.

Ms. Mitchell, who resided in Belmont, had been suffering from bipolar disease, Mr. Mitchell said in an interview. Her mother and father live in Portola Valley.

Ms. Mitchell had been depressed over "serious health problems" and had told her parents that she was going to go home to Belmont, pick up her medication and a change of clothing, then return to Portola Valley to spend the night, deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies discovered Ms. Mitchell's body under the Eugene Doran Bridge on Interstate 280 in San Mateo early Wednesday (Feb. 10) after her parents called in a missing person report.

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Acting on a tip from Ms. Mitchell's boyfriend, deputies focused their attention on the area around the bridge and found Ms. Mitchell's vehicle parked on the northbound shoulder of the freeway around 12:10 a.m.

Using flashlights, they found her body after a 30-minute search. Firefighters and a cliff-rescue team recovered her body, deputies said.

The surface of the bridge is approximately 350 feet above the valley floor, deputies said.

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Woman found under bridge was daughter of former Portola Valley mayor; service Feb. 20

Uploaded: Wed, Feb 10, 2010, 11:49 am
Updated: Fri, Feb 12, 2010, 10:55 am

A memorial service for Megan Mitchell, 34, the daughter of former Portola Valley mayor Kent Mitchell and Jo Ann Mitchell, will be held at noon Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Family Farm on Portola Road, Mr. Mitchell said Thursday.

Ms. Mitchell was found dead Wednesday under a bridge in San Mateo. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is calling the incident a suicide, press officer Lt. Ray Lunny said.

Ms. Mitchell, who resided in Belmont, had been suffering from bipolar disease, Mr. Mitchell said in an interview. Her mother and father live in Portola Valley.

Ms. Mitchell had been depressed over "serious health problems" and had told her parents that she was going to go home to Belmont, pick up her medication and a change of clothing, then return to Portola Valley to spend the night, deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies discovered Ms. Mitchell's body under the Eugene Doran Bridge on Interstate 280 in San Mateo early Wednesday (Feb. 10) after her parents called in a missing person report.

Acting on a tip from Ms. Mitchell's boyfriend, deputies focused their attention on the area around the bridge and found Ms. Mitchell's vehicle parked on the northbound shoulder of the freeway around 12:10 a.m.

Using flashlights, they found her body after a 30-minute search. Firefighters and a cliff-rescue team recovered her body, deputies said.

The surface of the bridge is approximately 350 feet above the valley floor, deputies said.

Comments

Sympathetic Resident
Atherton: West Atherton
on Feb 12, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Sympathetic Resident, Atherton: West Atherton
on Feb 12, 2010 at 1:29 pm

I lost my husband the same way, as he too was bipolar and had valiantly tried everything to live a "normal" life. My heart goes out to the Mitchells. It is so tragic for everyone to watch a tragic life, standing hopelessly by and not being able to do anything. Worse to have this poor girl's life end so quickly. Bipolar people try so hard to just survive and live. I can only imagine how supportive and brave the parents were. Hopefully there will be a cure someday.
My husband was diagnosed at 23 and lived until 35.


Frances
another community
on Dec 23, 2014 at 10:27 am
Frances, another community
on Dec 23, 2014 at 10:27 am

I lost my 17yr old son at the same bridge. This bridge from I gather has become the spot for suicide. Why doesn't anyone do something about this bridge, a former mayor has power to change this cycle.


Name hidden
Menlo Park: Suburban Park/Lorelei Manor/Flood Park Triangle

on May 31, 2017 at 8:08 pm
Name hidden, Menlo Park: Suburban Park/Lorelei Manor/Flood Park Triangle

on May 31, 2017 at 8:08 pm

Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?


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