STANDISH – After a two-month investigation, Yuma, Ariz., police have ruled the death of 2007 Bonny Eagle High School graduate Joshua Barron a suicide.

Barron, 22, who grew up in Standish and was a Marine corporal serving as a Harrier jet mechanic at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, went missing from his base on March 15. A farmer found Barron’s body March 21 about six miles from his off-base apartment with a gunshot wound to the head. The body was found in the city’s large East-West canal, which delivers water from the Colorado River to local lettuce crops that ring the city of 100,000 close to the California and Mexico borders in southwest Arizona.

Barron’s mother, Lynn Barron of Baldwin, believes the police have not properly investigated her son’s death and is planning to fly to Yuma in June with her nephew to continue her own investigation. She believes her son was murdered.

“I don’t believe it,” Lynn Barron said. “I plan to go to Yuma to meet with detectives and go through every shred of evidence.”

Lynn Barron said her primary evidence that Barron didn’t shoot himself is the absence of burn marks near the bullet wound, as noted in the March 23 autopsy, indicating the shot wasn’t fired from close distance.

When asked about Barron’s claims, Sgt. Clint Norred, spokesman for the Yuma Police Department, said he wouldn’t get into details of the case.

“I understand she may have whatever feelings and that she feels we didn’t delve into this matter, but I can say our investigators have worked on this case every day for the last two months and have determined that it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The investigation is complete and that is the determination,” Norred said.

A search for Barron commenced after co-workers reported him missing March 15. The search was conducted by Yuma police, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Department and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, since Barron was a Marine. His body was found March 21. On March 23, after it was determined that Barron was shot within Yuma city limits, Yuma police and NCIS acted as primary investigators.

Though Lynn Barron said her son was battling personal issues – “his whole life was in upheaval,” she said – she doesn’t feel he would take his own life.

“He had been transferred to a different unit, was working six days a week, was living in an apartment off base and was having relationship issues with his wife. Everything had changed for him,” she said. “But he was tough, just like me. He wouldn’t do this to himself.”