Sophie Nyweide death: Authorities respond to “foul play” speculation following Mammoth child actor’s passing

Sophie Nyweide, a former child actress known for her role in Mammoth, Noah and An Invisible Sign, was found dead earlier this month in Bennington, Vermont, at age 24.

The circumstances of her death have led to some speculation in public, especially after a couple of reports suggested foul play. But local authorities have since clarified the status of their investigation.

Sophie Nyweide’s body was found around 4 a.m. on April 14, near a riverbank next to a makeshift lean-to shelter. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Bennington Police Department.

Immediately following the incident, several media outlets also reported that foul play was not to be ruled out. This led Lt. Camillo Grande of the Bennington Police Department to clarify the situation. He told Daily Mail that the investigation was ‘open’,and that there was no official word from law enforcement that foul play was involved.

"All I said was it’s an open investigation and that there’s no other information at this time to be released." He said in a statement.

According to TMZ, the lean-to shelter, made out of fallen tree branches, was not her home but police confirmed she had been to that location before. After the discovery of the body, a man who was with Sophie Nyweide before she died is supposedly cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.

According to reports, There are several other people who were with Nyweide before her death, whom investigators are in the process of interviewing.

A look into Sophie Nyweide's acting career and her family's response to her death

Sophie Nyweide, who started acting when she was young, is best known for her roles in Margot at the Wedding and Bella, as well as playing the daughter of Michelle Williams and Gael García Bernal in Mammoth. Her last appearance on screen was in 2015 in the short Born Again and for a short run on the hidden camera show What Would You Do?.

An online obituary posted by her family described a sensitive and creative young woman who battled major personal problems. The tribute called Sophie Nyweide “kind and trusting,” but said that these attributes could sometimes leave her vulnerable to be taken advantage of.

"Sophie was a kind and trusting girl. Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously and much of this art depicts the depth she had and it also represents the pain she suffered." The obituary read.

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Her mother, actress Shelly Gibson, spoke of the tragedy with TMZ, and expressed her feelings towards her daughter and also confirmed that drug use had been an issue for the child actress.

"My knowledge is she was using drugs and was a tiny young woman. She was with other people when she died. I didn't know them. There is an investigation ongoing." She said in a statement.

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