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A University of New Hampshire student found dead after getting into a fight at a fraternity house died of an accidental drowning, authorities said.
The cause and manner of death for Vincenzo Lirosi, 22, of Whitman, Massachusetts, was released Wednesday after an autopsy conducted by New Hampshire’s chief medical examiner, Durham police said in a statement
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“No further information at this time,” Police Chief Rene Kelley said.
Lirosi, a sophomore majoring in history, was discovered dead Sunday in a marshy area near the Durham campus, where he had gotten into an “altercation” at an event hosted by the Sigma Chi fraternity early Saturday, school officials said.
Kelley told the Boston Globe on Monday that investigators didn’t consider Lirosi’s death suspicious.
Sigma Chi, meanwhile, has been temporarily suspended as school officials continue to investigate the dispute prior to Lirosi’s death, according to a letter sent to UNH students obtained by the Globe.
“As is common practice when an investigation involves a fraternity, we were in touch with the organization’s national headquarters and collectively agreed to interim suspend the organization effective immediately,” UNH’s dean of students, Kenneth Blackman, wrote in the letter.
Durham police said Lirosi, who was reported missing at 3 a.m. Saturday, was drinking with friends before he disappeared. His former roommate, Jordan Blanchard, told WMUR he was told to leave the frat party following the alleged fight.
“They kicked him out and told him to go home,” Blanchard told the station. “That’s when he went into the woods.”
Sigma Chi said in a statement late Tuesday that Lirosi entered the “welcome home” event for a member returning from military service without permission, the Portsmouth Herald reported.
“We are saddened to learn of the death of Vincenzo Lirosi, an uninvited guest who died after leaving an event held by some members of our chapter,” the fraternity said. “We extend our sincere condolences to his friends and family. We are fully cooperating with authorities as they investigate the circumstances of his death.”
Lirosi got “unruly” at the event and disturbed others before leaving shortly after his arrival “under his own power,” the statement continued.
Police previously said they believed Lirosi took a path through a wooded area as a shortcut to his Durham home.
A vigil for Lirosi was held at the university Monday. An online fundraiser to help offset his funeral costs had surpassed $77,000 as of Thursday.
“This picture doesn’t do the crowd justice, but all of you who were there at the vigil and everyone that have been sending messages and those who were silently supporting us we love all of you so much,” Vincenzo’s brother, Giovanni, wrote in a post on the fundraiser. “Thank you all so much it means everything to us.”
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