The disappearance of Misrach Ewunetie at Princeton University prompts law enforcement to re-visit the school’s dining clubs

It’s been five days since 20-year-old Misrach Ewunetie, a junior at Princeton University, went missing, prompting university officials to intensify their search.

Law enforcement presence at the school was increased after the department issued a missing alert. The area was also being circled by helicopter and drones.

Ewunetie was volunteering at one of the school’s 11 eating clubs on Thursday night, the president of the club told the student newspaper The Daily Princetonian. Alexander Maravcsik told the paper that E Woke was a member of the Terrace Club and doing work at the club during the live music performance.

“On Thursday night, one of our members who was initially signed up for duty was unable to attend our event, and Misrach volunteered to cover their shift. After the club had closed and all of the duty responsibilities had been fulfilled, Misrach — as well as the other members on duty — left for the night,” Maravcsik wrote to the paper.

Sara Elagad, executive director of the nonprofit, told CNN it was a mistake to think that Enetie had gone missing. Ewunetie was a 2020 graduate of the Minds Matter Cleveland program, which looks to close the education gap with high-achieving low-income students.

She is not in character for her to either go off the radar or not have contact with her family. She is being supported by her family as they assist law enforcement efforts to locate her.

The family of Ewunetie contacted the school Sunday night to ask for a well-being check after they had not heard from her in several days.

An email from the Terrace Club regarding the investigation of the fatal body of Ms. Ewunetie, a former high school honor student

The email states that the police departments have been following all leads in the search for Misrach. I am positive that all is being done to find Misrach.

Her body was found behind the tennis courts on the facility grounds, according to a statement from the prosecutor.

Because of the pending autopsy and toxicology report, the administration was unable to provide a cause of death. But in an effort to manage anxieties, the note quoted the county prosecutor’s office saying that there were “no obvious signs of injury” and that the death did “not appear suspicious or criminal in nature.”

He spoke to CNN by telephone on Thursday, before the body was discovered, and he said there was no constant update. “We’re really kept in the dark.”

Investigators were searching Lake Carnegie, on Princeton’s campus, and the surrounding area after authorities used bloodhounds to trace Ewunetie’s scent from the dorm to the lake, according to a law enforcement source.

Universe Ewunetie said their father first tried contacting his sister Friday but didn’t connect and assumed she was busy. On Saturday, calls and texts continued to go through, but no response came, and by Sunday, calls were going straight to voicemail.

Alexander Moravcsik, club president, released a statement to CNN on Thursday saying that “Misrach was a cherished member of the Terrace community and a kind, loving soul.”

“The club is grieving in the wake of this awful tragedy and our hearts are with her family, who must be going through the unimaginable,” Moravcsik’s statement read.

The community is profoundly sad at the news of the demise of a former honor student at the high school, who was found dead in his room at the university.

Alexander Moravcsik’s last name was incorrect in a previous version of the story. A statement from Terrace Club leaders was incorrectly attributed to Moravcsik and has been updated.

“Misrach’s death is an unthinkable tragedy,” Princeton Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun said. “Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her.”

The implication, based presumably on facts about the case the office could not disclose, was that Ms. Ewunetie, 20, had either been the victim of an accident of some kind or that she had taken her own life. As it is now with most official communications that impart painful news to college students, the missive contained phone numbers and links for anyone seeking psychological and counseling services.

What students wanted more was an understanding of what happened. At this time when distrust of law enforcement and institutional privilege was running high, a woman of color was found dead at an Ivy League campus, and some people weren’t sure if they should take what they were told at face value.