Family: Upham didn't kill herself but slipped while hiding from cops

Misty Upham's family do not believe the 32- year-old committed suicide, but died accidentally hiding from police. In an "Official Upham Family Press Release" on Misty Upham's Facebook page, family members contend the Native American actress fell off the 150-foot ledge in a Seattle suburb because "she simply did not see the drop off." "We believe that Misty's death was accidental," father Charles Upham wrote in the post. "She did not commit suicide. We believe she ran into the wooded area behind her apartment to hide from the police...evidence suggests that she slipped and fell off the steep embankment when she tried to get out of view from the road." Upham, who is known for her roles in August: Osage County and Frozen River, was reported missing by her parents on Oct. 6. On Oct. 16 her body was discovered by a search party canvassing the forest in Auburn, Washington. On Friday, the King County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Upham's identity. The recorded media line reported that her "cause and manner of death are pending." The family has been critical of the police investigation into Upham's disappearance and continued to level accusations in the Facebook post. Charles Upham claimed in the post that, "Misty was afraid of the Auburn PD for good reason." He listed allegations against the police from a previous encounter before Misty Upham's disappearance. He also slammed the department for their failure to be more proactive in the search. "It is tragic that the Auburn PD refused to help offer to find or at least change her missing status to 'Endangered' to allow other agencies to get involved," Charles Upham wrote in the post. "But the real tragedy is this could have been prevented on a lot of levels." Auburn Police Commander Steve Stocker told NBC news that investigators did take Upham's disappearance seriously and "we did everything we could in this case." A memorial fund has been set up in Misty Upham's name. Funeral arrangements will be announced later this weekend. A vigil for the family and community will be held on Sunday in Auburn.