Missing Princeton student’s cell phone was found near her body – despite ‘find my friends’ app claim
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The body of Misrach Ewunetie, 20, of Ohio, was found Thursday on the Princeton campus, six days after she disappeared. Police suspect no malicious intent
A Princeton student found dead near her campus on Thursday had her cell phone with her, police said, despite her family saying that Sunday was “pinged” outside of college.
Misrach Ewunetie, 20, of Ohio, was last seen on Oct. 14 around 3 a.m. near Princeton University’s Scully Hall, the residential building where she lived.
Her body was found Thursday near university tennis courts, according to multiple law enforcement sources who spoke to NBC 4.
Ewunetie’s family, who immigrated from Ethiopia in 2008, raised the alarm on Sunday, saying they used the Find My Phone app to determine that the phone was “pinging” near Montgomery Township — a district several miles from campus. .
The ping was located in a New Jersey residential complex near Penns Neck.
The student’s phone was found near her body, police said Thursday Fox newsand they don’t believe it’s planted.
It’s not yet known if the phone’s ‘ping’ was incorrect, or if Ewunetie went to the site and came back.
Police do not believe she was involved in a struggle.
“Her death does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature,” the Mercer County Prosecutors Office said.
No further details on a cause of death have been shared and an autopsy will now be performed.
Misrach Ewunetie, 20, was last seen on Oct. 14 around 3 a.m. near Princeton University’s Scully Hall, the residential building where she lived
Ewunetie was found in this relatively remote area of the Princeton campus
It is located behind the tennis courts and facilities of the school’s recreation department
Officials are pictured near the scene, which is on the northwest edge of campus
The young student’s remains were found in a remote area of the Ivy League campus, accessible only to authorized badge holders.
She had volunteered to join Princeton’s Terrace Club for a live music event the night she was last seen.
It had been a last-minute arrangement after another person who was supposed to run the event dropped out.
Her body was located 2.5 miles from her home, in an area near State Road near the university’s recreation department, which has a hiking trail, community pool and sports facilities.
Ewunetie’s disappearance prompted a multi-day hunt for her whereabouts, which resulted in the deployment of drones, helicopters and watercraft around Ivy League University.
W. Rochelle Calhoun, Princeton vice president for campus life, called Ewunetie’s death an “unthinkable tragedy.”
“Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her,” she said in a statement.
“We are planning an opportunity for students to come together and remember Misrach.
“Information about the meeting will be shared separately when details are known.”
Several helicopters and drones were also deployed to try to find the missing 20-year-old
Misrach had volunteered to join Princeton’s Terrace Club for a live music event the night she was last seen
Campus police had visited Ewunetie’s residential area three times and searched the house with dogs, but were unable to enter any property due to a lack of search warrants.
Earlier this week, Ewunetie’s brother Universe claimed that his family had not been given all the details from the police about their search.
“There is no constant update or interaction with us,” Universe told CNN. “We’re really in the dark.”
Police officials had told Universe that the investigation would take time.
“That’s something we don’t have,” he said. “We don’t have time.”
Misrach Ewunetie is pictured with her brother Universe. He said the family was desperate for answers
Universe Ewunetie, Misrach’s brother, says the family has been ‘kept in limbo’ by police in their search for the missing student
Pictured: Scully Hall on the Princeton campus where Misrach was last seen
Terrace Club is one of the non-private clubs in Princeton, requiring members only to sign up for membership, and is not affiliated with the university.
The clubs are intended for the higher classes at school to have lunch and participate in various activities.
Other clubs require prospective members to apply for membership.
She was a member of ‘duty’ — doing household chores during a live music performance at the club.
That night the club hosted Raavi with Jackie Marchal, according to his Instagram page.
After the club closed and all responsibilities were fulfilled, Misrach, along with other members on duty, left for the night.
After the event, “she went back to her dormitory at 3 a.m.,” her brother said.
“Her roommates said they saw her at 3 a.m. Then another roommate of hers said she hadn’t seen her after 4am, and nobody saw her after that.
“Her roommates didn’t look for her because they thought she was going home.
“With the pandemic, they weren’t on campus the first year, so that was difficult for her and for a lot of people,” Universe explains.
“But this year she tried to get into this Terrace Club, and that was her way of making friends.”
Pictured: The ad for the Terrace Club event on October 13, the night Misrach volunteered
Ewunetie had graduated in 2020 from the Minds Matter Cleveland program, which helps high-achieving low-income students.
Sara Elagad, executive director of the nonprofit, told CNN that her former student’s disappearance was very strange.
“It doesn’t suit her at all to purposely disappear from the radar or have no contact with family,” Elagad said.
Ewunetie was a farewell teacher from her high school and studied sociology with a minor in computer science at Princeton, according to Planet Princeton.
Her family said her disappearance was all the more troubling after she missed a citizenship application meeting the next day.
‘She is the pearl of the house, [my parents’] only daughter and the youngest,” Universe said.
“She is much loved.”