MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Misrach Ewunetie cause of death revealed, autopsy says Princeton student died by suicide

An autopsy by the Middlesex County coroner revealed that she died of 'bupropion, escitalopram and hydroxyzine toxicity'

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY: The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office declared on Wednesday that Misrach Ewunetie, a Princeton University student whose disappearance made national headlines, died by suicide. The Middlesex Regional Medical Examiner's Office's postmortem report on Ewunetie found that "Bupropion, Escitalopram, and Hydroxyzine Toxicity" was the cause of her death.

Ewunetie went missing on Friday, October 14, near Scully Hall on the school's New Jersey campus, according to the university. The next day, Ewunetie was supposed to have an interview, about 45 minutes away from campus, regarding her US citizenship application, and the family was concerned when she didn't show up, her brother reportedly said. On October 20, six days later, her body was discovered behind the tennis courts of the Ivy League institution in New Jersey. 

READ MORE

Misrach Ewunetie: Princeton student, 20, found dead 6 days after she went missing from campus

Old footage shows Princeton student Misrach Ewunetie discussing her academic goals before tragic death

When she vanished, her brother Universe Ewunetie, gave a description of a "gut-wrenching feeling of being lost." At the time, her brother said, "She’s a sweet soul like she’s the most caring person you will ever meet. She’s the last person I would expect to go missing." Text messages weren't being sent by Sunday, October 16, and her phone went directly to voicemail, her brother claimed as per 6abc. In one of the tweets from the University on 18 October, after Ewunetie was reported missing the university said,  "The Department of Public Safety is seeking information on the whereabouts of an undergraduate student, Misrach Ewunetie, who has been reported missing". It later stated after her body was found: "Misrach’s death is an unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to Misrach’s family, her friends, and the many others who knew and loved her. Princeton is a close-knit community and we mourn Misrach together".

Ewunetie's Ohio-based parents as per reports maintained constant communication with Misrach throughout her life. Following her missing report, and after her body was recovered, many theories circulated about homicide. However, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri stated that the Ohio junior's death did not seem unusual and that there were no indications of injuries when her corpse was discovered. The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland as per CBS 19 in Cleveland, Misrach Ewunetie was class valedictorian and 2020 Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School graduate from Cleveland. Her brother informed The Sun that she received a full scholarship at Princeton and just switched her major to sociology.