(The Associated Press circulated the following article on August 17.)
SAN MARCOS, Texas — A California woman who died on an Amtrak train this week was taking a number of prescription drugs, but investigators said her cause of death remains unclear.
Rhonda Burnett, 41, of Salinas, Calif., was found dead early Tuesday by another passenger on the Dallas-bound train. She was traveling with her 8-year-old daughter and her 6-year-old son, according to San Marcos police.
Burnett left California on Sunday to move to the Dallas area, where she was going to take care of her aging father, police Sgt. Penny Dunn said Wednesday.
Dunn said her department’s investigation has turned up that Burnett was taking prescription drugs, though she’s not sure whether they played a role in her death.
“We’re looking at a possible medical condition or the medications she was taking,” Dunn said, adding there was no evidence that Burnett’s death was suicide or homicide.
Preliminary autopsy results could be available Wednesday, she said, but a toxicology report could take up to two weeks to complete. Burnett’s body was sent to Austin for autopsy.
The train’s engineer stopped the train in San Marcos, about 30 miles south of Austin, after a fellow passenger, who is a nurse, noticed Burnett had died.
Burnett was in a passenger car, with her seat semi-reclined, police said.
Police said Burnett may have been dead for several hours before she was found. The train stayed overnight in San Antonio.
Burnett’s children were in the care of the Child Protective Services on Wednesday pending their release to family members.