Life-insurance policy taken out on man days before fatal plunge, mother says

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. (KTVU) - "My son was worth it." 

Heather Lundbom is demanding answers, more than eight months after her son's mysterious death in Marin County, the apparent result of a 600-foot plunge from cliffs at Muir Beach.

"I'm devastated, not only with the loss of my child, but i'm confused over why there not been more movement," Lundbom told KTVU.

Her son, 21-year-old Tyler Silva was last seen on top of the cliffs high above Muir Beach on Dec. 3. A week later, kayakers found his body, near Stinson Beach, about two miles away.

Lundbom said her son was with a former girlfriend on the day he went missing. Lundbom shared with KTVU her theory that the woman may have had something to do with his death.

"It came to light that there was a life insurance policy, that the person named and inserted as beneficiary was the person with my son when he went missing," she said.

She says that life insurance policy was taken out three days before he disappeared. But that wasn't all.

"My son approached me prior to his death, telling me that there had been an attempt on his life," said Lundbom, adding her son didn't want to give her any details. But he did say it involved "the same person he was with when he died," Lundbom said.

The woman's identity hasn't been made public.

Lundbom says park rangers who have jurisdiction in the case don't seem to be making any headway. She says they haven't interviewed key witnesses in the case or reviewed evidence she gathered.

Lundbom says it's been "266 days with no return phone calls to the people that said,' Hey, I have information, please come talk to me.'"

She and several dozen friends converged on the U.S. Park rangers building in Sausalito on Monday to make sure the case wasn't being forgotten.

"Just to find answers for Tyler, because we feel like there could be more done," said Dakota Conners, a friend of Silva.

Charlie Strickfaden, spokesman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area said, "We realize they would like answers, as do we. We would like to close this investigation out."

The cause and manner of Silva's death haven't been determined. Park rangers say they can't talk about an ongoing case - and say they have been working on it.

"We couldn't get into any speculation" Strickfaden said. "We definitely appreciate that Ms. Lundbom and her friends and family have their opinions, and we're going to let the investigation take its course."