The search for a missing Princeton University student has come to a tragic end. The body of Misrach Ewunetie was discovered by a worker at the school on Thursday, six days after she seemingly vanished in the middle of the night.
Authorities say the 20-year-old's body was found behind the tennis courts, close to the edge of campus.
So far, a cause of death is unknown.
Authorities said there were not any clear signs of trauma to the body or anything that would point to foul play.
“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,” Princeton Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun said. “Princeton is a close-knit community, and we mourn Misrach together.”
Ewunetie was last seen brushing her teeth in Scully Hall in the early morning hours. According to the school, she was an incredibly high-achieving and determined student. Her disappearance was shocking to her school community and spurred a statewide manhunt until her body was finally discovered.
According to The Daily Princetonian, Ewunetie had been volunteering at one of the school's exclusive eating clubs the night before she disappeared. Her brother said her phone had pinged near an off-campus housing complex about 30 minutes from the school. Days after her disappearance, he said he felt it was off that she had seemingly been off campus because she was “very insular.”
Ewunetie’s family, originally from Ethiopia but who now live in Ohio, was notified that she had gone missing after she missed an appointment for her US citizenship application.
“She is the gem of the house, their only daughter and the youngest,” her brother Universe Ewunetie told The Sun before she was found dead. “She is very loved."
