PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — A Princeton, Ohio, student who disappeared near campus about a week ago was found dead Thursday, Mercer County Attorney Angelo Onofry said.
Misrach Ewunetie, 20, was found by an employee behind a tennis court on the campus facility grounds around 1 p.m., Onofri said. He said there were no obvious signs of injury and “her death does not appear to be of a suspicious or criminal nature” but the official cause of death would be determined after a forensic review.
“Misrach’s death was an unimaginable tragedy. Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her,” University Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun said in a statement.
After she was reported missing, an extensive search for Ewunetie was launched. A large number of law enforcement officers remained on campus and in the nearby area on Thursday.
Ewunetie was last seen entering her Ivy League dorm in the early hours of October. On the 14th, the school said. But about 90 minutes later, when her roommate returned to the dorm, Ewunetie wasn’t there.
Family and friends say they have not heard from Ewunetie. Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Thursday, her brother Universe Ewunetie said his sister’s phone last pinged sometime after 3 a.m. Friday, about a 30-minute walk from her dorm room. Away from a residential area, he said it didn’t make sense. She will be in this position.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ewunetie is a junior pursuing a degree in sociology and earning a certificate in computer applications. She was the valedictorian of Angela St. Villa. He attended Joseph High School in Cleveland, Ohio, before accepting a full scholarship to Princeton.