Mysterious Death of College Gymnast Found in Dumbwaiter Finally Explained

On Dec.1, 21-year-old gymnast and college student Brooke Baures was working at the WingDam Saloon and Grill in Fountain City, Wisconsin.

When the restaurant's cook heard the food elevator descend, he went to check for dirty dishes — and found Baures dead.

Brooke Baures. (Image via Twitter)

On Tuesday, Fountain City police released their "final press release" on Baures' case, revealing their disturbing conclusions: Baures, a senior at Winona State University in Minnesota, had her head crushed by a dumbwaiter that she herself had controlled.

The report notes that the food elevator operated quickly, giving operators only a few seconds to move out of the way, and, "due to the absence of doors on the cab specifically, an operator must physically stay clear of the device as it ascends or descends to avoid injury."

The elevator has since been removed, the Daily Mail reported.

"It is our finding at this point that no crime occurred in this tragedy," the report stated.

Image via Facebook

The gruesome death rocked the restaurant where Baures worked.

"I think one of my co-workers got squished in, like, our dumbwaiter," the Daily Mail reported a coworker who called 911 as saying. "But I'm not willing to look close enough."

Speaking of the grisly scene, Fountain City Police Chief Jason Mork said, "To explain more of her specific location, orientation or obvious injuries would require an extremely graphic explanation."

Read the full report below:

Baures Death Report by William Berger

During a candlelight vigil, her classmates at Winona State remembered Baures, the Daily Mail noted.

"She was the person that held us together," said fellow gymnast Brooke Hiestand. "And if you had something that you didn't know what to do...for some reason, she always knew the answer...always."

Baures's boyfriend, Winona State football player Joel Hinke, reportedly broke down in tears as he recalled his desire to marry her.

This story has been updated.

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Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter