PRINCETON, N.J. (PIX11) – Misrach Ewunetie, a 20-year-old Princeton University student who disappeared last week, was found dead on campus Thursday, authorities said.
Ewunetie’s body was discovered by a Princeton Department of Facilities employee behind the tennis courts on university property around 1 p.m., according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
There were no obvious signs of injury, and her death doesn't appear to be suspicious or criminal in nature, officials said.
"The Department of Public Safety has been working closely with local and state law enforcement and does not believe there is any related threat to campus or the surrounding area," said W. Rochelle Calhoun, Princeton's vice president for campus life.
The Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine her cause of death.
Ewunetie was reported missing on Sunday, according to Calhoun. She was last seen near Scully Hall where she lived on Friday, Oct. 14, police said. The dorm is about half a mile away from where she was found.
According to Ewunetie's brother, her phone last pinged two days after she went missing.
"We do know that the last time, Sunday morning, was the last time her phone pinged off campus, which is very strange because the last time a person saw her was her roommate, and she saw her brushing her teeth, going into her room to sleep. I don't know how you explain that," Universe Ewunetie said.
The search efforts had intensified Thursday. Police launched a drone, had a search crew out in nearby Carnegie Lake, and her family was handing out flyers near Princeton's front gates.
Ewunetie, a member of the class of 2024, was attending Princeton on a full-ride scholarship, according to her brother. He said she was the valedictorian at her high school in Cleveland, Ohio.
"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," Calhoun said. "We are planning an opportunity for students to join together and remember Misrach. Information about the gathering will be shared separately when details are known."
