LAFAYETTE, IN — A 19-year-old Zionsville student was found dead March 11 at the top of an out-of-the-way staircase, Tippecanoe County’s coroner said.
Truman Greaves was found in the stairwell with a bag over his head, Coroner Carrie Costello said last week after an autopsy. His preliminary cause of death was asphyxia. The manner of death is pending the return of toxicology reports to determine whether there might be other contributing factors to his death.
“Truman Greaves was a first-year student in the College of Engineering,” Purdue University spokesman Trevor Peters said in a prepared release. “We are saddened any time we experience a student’s death and offer our condolences and support to his family, fellow students, friends and all who are affected. As a reminder, Purdue offers mental health resources and support to all members of our campus community.”
Greaves was a member of the Purdue Student Senate, according to the senate’s website and confirmed by Peters.
The coroner’s office used DNA to compare to known relatives for a positive identification, Costello said.
Purdue University police Capt. Song Kang said last week that officers started searching for Greaves after being asked to check on his welfare. Officers went to the Physics Building because Greaves had classes there, he said.
Costello said Greaves’ body was at the top of a staircase that led to a door that reads “authorized personnel.” It was remote and more private than the flights of stairs below, where Greaves was found.
Purdue students may reach out to Counseling & Psychological Services at www.purdue.edu/caps/ or call at 765-494-6995.
Anyone who might be struggling with life challenges may call 988, a 24/7 crisis hotline that offers support.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Zionsville man ID’d as man found dead in Purdue’s Physics Building
Reporting by Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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