The Princeton university student who was found dead on campus in October died by suicide, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Misrach Ewunetie, 20, died due to an overdose of antidepressants and an antihistamine, the coroner ruled saying there was no foul play involved in her death.
Originally from Ethiopia, Ewunetie, a sophomore sociology major from Euclid, Ohio, was found dead next to the university's tennis courts on October 20 after she was reported missing a week earlier. Police too didn't find any signs of injury on Ewunetie's body and now after more than three months and an autopsy, the coroner ruled her death as suicide.
Taking Her Own Life
Ewunetie's death was attributed to "bupropion, escitalopram, and hydroxyzine toxicity," according to a Middlesex County coroner's postmortem report, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office reported. Her death was ruled a suicide.
Bupropion and escitalopram, which are the generic names for Wellbrutin and Lexapro, respectively, are used to treat depression.
Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine used to treat allergic responses and anxiety.
Ewunetie, who was a high-achieving student, was last seen on October 14 cleaning her teeth in her hostel. Her relatives in Ohio reported her missing two days after she skipped her appointment for her US citizenship application.
Her brother Universe Ewunetie told the US Sun that his sister was the "gem of the house, their only daughter and the youngest."
Princeton Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun called Ewunetie's death "an unthinkable tragedy" in an email to the campus shortly after her body was found.
"Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her," Calhoun wrote.
"Princeton is a close-knit community, and we mourn Misrach together."
Students Scared
Although Ewunetie's death was determined to be a suicide, Princeton students may still be concerned that one of them is a murderer after it was found that a different student's dorm room door was taken off its hinges by an unidentified man who also left a note saying "be nicer" just before Ewunetie's death.
Despite assurances from Princeton officials that the campus is secure, students nevertheless expressed their worries earlier this month, particularly in light of the message that was left the same day that Ewunetie vanished. The unsettling note was discovered on sophomore Mikayla Merin's door.
According to Merin, who spoke to the New York Times, the experience left her feeling so uneasy that she took a month off of school before returning only after installing her own system.
According to student Faeven Mussie, the school should not have made such assertions given the scant information that has been made public concerning the death.
Students are uncomfortable since Ewunetie's body was discovered in a remote area, her phone was last used away from campus, and another student saw her door taken from its hinges with a warning note attached the same day she vanished.
"We don't know what to think or what to believe or if we're safe here," Mussie, who spoke on behalf of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association, said.
The lack of information has angered Ewunetie's relatives, who also criticized police for keeping them "in the dark."
Prior to the autopsy results, police in an effort to allay concerns lamented that there were "no obvious signs of injury" and that it did "not appear suspicious or criminal in nature."
Additionally, the university informed students that there was no proof that Ewunetie's death was a homicide.
