BRECKENRIDGE — Breckenridge police have closed the Barbiere dissaperance case, calling it a “tragic accident.”

“For all practicial purposed the case is closed,” said Breckenridge Assistant Chief Greg Morrison. “There is absolutely no indication of foul play, so we are now just waiting for the toxicology test results.”

According to Morrison, all the items found on Barbiere — including cash, credit cards and jewlery — matched desciptions from the family, further solidifying the positive identification.

Summit County Coroner Joanne Richardson ruled Wednesday that Barbiere had succumbed to hypothermia due to exposure to the elements. Barbiere’s body was found buried in the snow behind the Stephen C. West ice arena in Breckenridge on Saturday, bringing closure to a case that remained a mystery for almost 60 days.

On the website www.helpfindmike.com, Barbiere’s mother wrote a note entitled “Mike is going home,” in which she thanked the members of Summit County Search and Rescue, the Breckenridge Police Department, as well as the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

“There is no way to adequately describe the anguish a family feels when a loved one is both gone and lost,” Barbiere’s mother wrote. “But we will surely spend months expressing gratitude to the many good hearted people from inside and outside of Summit County who chose to walk with us on this difficult journey.”

Barbiere, 23, was an honors graduate of New York University and worked on Wall Street.

<i>Ashley Dickson can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at adickson@summitdaily.com.</i>