Death in Submerged Vehicle Ruled a Suicide; Investigation Continues

According to a spokesperson for the state Medical Examiner’s Office, Celeste Tonia died of “asphyxiation by submersion,” or drowning. Her death has been ruled a suicide.

The 26-year-old Tonia, of Teaneck, N.J., 25 yards from the launch ramp at Echo Bay Marina on Candlewood Lake Road Tuesday morning by employees coming into work shortly after 7 a.m.

The determination that Tonia’s death was a suicide is “not inconsistent with what we felt at the scene yesterday after interviewing people and investigating the incident,” Brookfield Police Major Jay Purcell said Wednesday.

Tonia left a final message on her Facebook page at 3:21 a.m. Sunday, April 24, stating, “No excuses, just a simple goodbye.”

Police will continue to look into why Tonia came to Brookfield, however the incident “will not be investigated as a crime,” according to Purcell.

“We’d like to know if there is a reason that led her to Brookfield,” he said.

Police are also waiting on a toxicology report to come back from the Medical Examiner, which could take several weeks.

Brookfield police also discovered a financial transaction off of exit 8 of Interstate 84 at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.  Purcell stated that the purchase itself did not shed any new light on the investigation, but gives police a better idea of the timeline.

Police also confirmed that the vehicle she was found in, a tan 1995 Ford Taurus, was registered in her name.