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Columbia Student Found Dead In Dorm May Have Died From Overdose
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 1, 2013
Modified Apr 1, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 1, 2013
Modified Apr 1, 2013
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The 21-year-old woman who was found dead in a Columbia University dorm has been identified as Jessica Fingers. According to the Daily News, she and her boyfriend Peter Russell had been visiting a friend and current student in a dorm room at the East Campus residence hall when Russell found her unconscious, facing up, at 11:45 a.m. yesterday morning.
Fingers was pronounced dead at the scene. Sources believe she died from an overdose.
Fingers, a resident of Monticello, NY, had been accepted to the undergraduate college on a full scholarship and was majoring in sociology and a member of the track team. While she would have graduated with this year's class, she had been on leave since last year—the News notes that Fingers's mother had posted on her Facebook page that her daughter was recovering from a stroke and blood clots.
Russell, a freelance tattoo artist, posted on Facebook, "My life is over... Shes gone so i have nothing to live for.. Bye," "I woke up and the love of my life was dead next to me," and "I wanna die." Earlier, someone apparently related to Fingers posted on Russell's page, "F--k u peter im coming for ur life."
Fingers' stepfather told the News that she had been cleared to go back to school, "She loved Columbia. It was her dream school."
Tagged
apparent overdose
columbia university
east campus
jessica fingers
peter russell
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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