Watch CBS News

Cause ruled in death of NJ college student who went missing

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — The death of a Princeton University student from Ohio whose disappearance near the New Jersey campus last fall drew national attention has been ruled a suicide, authorities said.

The Mercer County prosecutor's office announced the ruling Wednesday in the death of 20-year-old Misrach Ewunetie following completion of an autopsy by the Middlesex regional medical examiner's office.

Authorities said her body was found Oct. 20 by an employee behind tennis courts on the campus facilities grounds. Prosecutors said at the time that the death did not appear "suspicious or criminal in nature."

An extensive search had been launched after Ewunetie was reported missing almost a week earlier. She had last been seen heading into her dorm room at the Ivy League school in the early morning hours of Oct. 14, school officials said.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ewunetie was a junior pursuing a sociology degree with a computer applications certificate. She was valedictorian at Villa Angela-St. Joseph high school in Cleveland, Ohio, before accepting a full scholarship to Princeton.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.