Princeton student, 20, found dead nearly 1 week after going missing
University junior Misrach Ewunetie was reported missing six days ago.
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Princeton University student Misrach Ewunetie’s body was found on Oct. 20, according to a release from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
The 20-year-old junior was part of the class of 2024 and went missing six days ago, on Oct. 14, the final day before the start of the school’s one-week fall break.
According to the prosecutor’s office, a facilities employee found Ewunetie’s body behind the university’s tennis courts at 1 p.m. on the afternoon of Oct. 20.
The Mercer County release shared that there were no apparent signs of injury to Ewunetie’s body and said the cause of her death did not appear to be suspicious or criminal. It also explained that the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of her death.
On Oct. 19, Princeton’s vice president for campus life, W. Rochelle Calhoun, emailed students about the search for Ewunetie. In her message, Calhoun noted that Ewunetie’s family requested that the Department of Public Safety perform a well-being check after failing to hear from Ewunetie for several days.
The Department of Public Safety is seeking information on the whereabouts of an undergraduate student, Misrach Ewunetie, who has been reported missing.
Anyone with information on Ewunetie’s whereabouts should contact the Department of Public Safety at (609) 258-1000. pic.twitter.com/5p6401md3x
— Princeton University (@Princeton) October 18, 2022
Since Sunday, Princeton’s Department of Public Safety has been at work with Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as state and local police departments, to find Ewunetie.
On Oct. 17, the department of public safety issued a Tiger Alert, part of the university’s emergency notification system, asking anyone with information to contact an anonymous tip line.
Speaking with NBC News on Oct. 19, Ewunetie’s brother, Universe Ewunetie, said that the last time he spoke with her was on Oct. 13.
In an interview with NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland, Ewunetie’s mother, Tiruedil Kassa, described her daughter as “such a trusting person, just a lovely person.”
Hours after Ewunetie’s body was found, Calhoun issued a letter to the Princeton community describing the news as “heartbreaking.”
The letter also noted that the Department of Public Safety, as well as local and state law enforcement, does not believe there are any threats related to Ewunetie’s death on campus or in the nearby area.
“Misrach’s death is an unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to her family, her friends, and the many others who knew and loved her,” read the letter, which also noted that plans to bring students together to honor her memory are in the works.
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