Princeton student Misrach Ewunetie’s family call her death ‘suspicious’ as they plan independent autopsy

According to a GoFundMe created by the family, funds raised will be used for funeral expenses, the Ethiopian’s family travel costs, and an independent autopsy

The family of a Princeton student found dead on campus last week is raising concerns about the investigation into her death.

The body of Misrach Ewunetie, 20, was discovered on the outskirts of the New Jersey campus’ tennis court, almost a week after going missing. Within hours of the tragic findings on Thursday, the Mercer County Prosecution Office issued a statement saying there were no signs of injuries and foul play was not suspected.

But Ewunetie’s family have reiterated that the circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious, pointing out the fact that her phone last pinged nearby a railway station in Penns Neck, West Windsor Township, but was later found along with her Airpods and body in the remote area on campus.

“The area she was found makes us feel it was suspicious. Some trees had to be cut when they were removing Misrach,” Ewunetie’s brother, Universe Ewunetie, told The Sun. “Everyone thinks it’s over with, and they released that statement before doing any autopsy and without telling us.”

According to a GoFundMe page created by the family, funds raised will be used for funeral expenses, the Ethiopian’s family travel costs, and an independent autopsy. More than $70,000 have been raised within 24 hours.

The Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Friday but a cause of death is yet to be determined pending toxicology results. Mr Ewunetie also told The Sun that his sister was healthy, had been making plans for the future and would have not taken her own life.

In a statement to The Independent last week, the Mercer County Prosecution Office said that Ewunetie’s body had no obvious signs of injury and her death “does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature.”

Ewunetie, a Junior at Princeton, was last seen around 3am on 14 October after she returned to her dorm from volunteering at an on-campus eating club. Her phone last pinged around 3.27am at a location 1.7 miles away from campus, The Sun reported.

Mr Ewunetie said she was sharing her location with a family member on WhatsApp before her phone was suddenly turned off near what seems to be a housing complex in Penns Neck.

“I don’t want to paint the whole Princeton staff as bad, there have been some folks that have been good to us, especially the Dean [of the university],” Mr Ewunetie told The Sun.

Misrach Ewunetie (GoFundMe/Nate Tesfaya)

The grieving brother said his family was expecting that school and state officials would organise a press briefing to discuss the early findings in the investigation, but that did not happen.

“It’s out of character for Misrach to do any of this,” Mr Ewunetie told The Sun. “She was talking to me about a savings account she was going to open, her interview, buying clothes and shipping them to Cleveland, and volunteering at her student club organization.”

Ewunetie’s family called her death “bizarre” and remembered her as a disciplined and kind young woman, who was set to graduate as a Sociology major in 2024.

“There is nothing that can replace the beautiful person that we have lost. Misrach is missed by her loving family, friends, and anyone who knew her,” the description of the GoFundMe page reads.

“Due to her sudden death and bizarre circumstances surrounding her passing, we ask family, friends, and anyone aware of her story to support Misrach’s family by assisting with the expenses associated with a funeral, an independent autopsy, and significant travel.”