‘Unthinkable tragedy.’ Missing Princeton student found dead on campus, officials say
UPDATE: Missing Princeton University student Misrach Ewunetie has been found dead, officials said.
A campus facilities employee found her body at about 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 — about six days after she disappeared, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. She was behind the tennis courts.
An autopsy will be done to determine her cause of death.
“However, there were no obvious signs of injury and her death does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature,” the prosecutor’s office said in a news release.
“Misrach’s death is an unthinkable tragedy,” Princeton Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun said. “Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her.”
The university is planning a gathering for students to remember Ewunetie and is providing counseling for the campus community.
The original story continues below.
Days after a Princeton student was reported missing, the university said law enforcement is increasing search efforts on and around the New Jersey campus.
Misrach Ewunetie was last seen at about 3 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14, according to Princeton University’s Department of Public Safety. She was in the area of Scully Hall, a residence hall in the southeast part of campus.
The class of 2024 undergraduate student lives in that dorm, according to The Daily Princetonian.
She “has not been in touch with her family or friends in several days,” according to an email from New College West Dean Anne Caswell-Klein. The email was obtained by the Princetonian.
On Oct. 19, Princeton officials said drones, a helicopter and watercraft are being used in the search for Ewunetie.
Ewunetie, 20, graduated from Cleveland’s Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School in 2020, according to WOIO. She was her class valedictorian, and she received a full-ride scholarship to Princeton.
The day Ewunetie disappeared was the last day of classes before the university’s fall recess. Classes are scheduled to resume on Monday, Oct. 24.
Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts or disappearance is asked to call the Princeton Department of Public Safety at 609-258-1000.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 11:58 AM with the headline "‘Unthinkable tragedy.’ Missing Princeton student found dead on campus, officials say."