A Princeton University undergraduate student’s body was discovered nearly a week after he went missing.
Lauren Blackburn, 23, was discovered at Lake Carnegie on the morning of April 25, according to the Princeton University Department of Public Safety. Nobody has spoken to or seen Blackburn since around 6 p.m. ET on April 19 near the Firestone Library on the Ivy League campus.
“Our hearts are heavy, and we send our deepest condolences to Lauren’s family and friends,” the department said in a social media post.
According to News 12 New Jersey and WPVI-TV, authorities focused their search on Lake Carnegie, a reservoir near Princeton University’s campus. Blackburn’s mobile was discovered near the water, according to reports.
It’s unclear whether foul play is suspected. USA TODAY called Princeton on April 25 but did not receive a response.
Who is Lauren Blackburn?
According to Fox News and News 12 New Jersey, Blackburn is an Indiana native who previously worked as a staff writer for Princeton University’s student-run daily newspaper, The Daily Princetonian.
Before attending Princeton, Blackburn was a great high school student who was picked as one of 2,500 candidates for the 2019 National Merit Scholarship by WAVE.
“He can read a book and know everything in it,” Kate Robinson, an English teacher at Corydon Central High School, where Blackurn attended, told the source. “I’m pretty sure he has a photographic memory.”
Following Blackburn’s abduction, Princeton University Vice President for Student Life W. Rochelle Calhoun sent an email to undergraduate students, according to The Daily Princetonian.
“I will share an update when we know more, but in the meantime, please hold Lauren in your thoughts as we attempt to locate him,” she said.