Gilbert was found dead in a briar patch near Megginson Cemetery on December fourth. Crews, who scoured the area for days after she disappeared, used chainsaws to reach her body in the heavily wooded area. She was naked when discovered, yet there was no evidence of sexual assault. She had small amounts of marijuana in her system; the drug likely contributed to death, although the degree to which marijuana contributed to death is uncertain. She was covered in scratches, most likely from a car accident which happened moments prior to her death, in which her car crashed into a guardrail at the intersection of Concord Turnpike and Winston Ridge Road. The main cause of death was listed as hypothermia.