AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION: Cornell student hangs himself

The Cornell Daily Sun ITHACA, N.Y. (U-WIRE) -- A student found dead in his Ithaca, N.Y., apartment building Monday night was identified Wednesday afternoon as Cornell University junior Mark McKeon, Tompkins County Medical Examiner Judson Kilgore said. According to Kilgore, McKeon hanged himself in his Stewart Avenue apartment on either Saturday or Sunday, leaving suicide notes to several people. Kilgore said McKeon had been brain dead for more than 24 hours when he was found in his apartment. McKeon, 31, had transferred to Cornell's College of Industrial and Labor Relations last January, according to an e-mail sent to all students in that school. Kilgore said there was no trace of drugs or alcohol in the body, nor any indication of a history of substance abuse. He also added that there was nothing to indicate a history of mental problems. According to Kilgore, a friend spoke with McKeon on the telephone last week but noticed that Mc-Keon was not in class. His friend then went to McKeon's apartment and saw McKeon's car parked near the building. Though the apartment door was locked and there was no response to his knocks, Kilgore said the friend entered the apartment through the window. Upon seeing McKeon's body, Kilgore said the friend placed the call to 911. The Ithaca Police Department, with the assistance of the Cornell University Police, are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding McKeon's death. In reaction to the incident, Cornell spokesperson Linda Grace-Kobas said that "[w]e are deeply saddened by the death, with our deepest sympathies extended to his family and friends." "We would strongly urge other people who are upset by this tragedy or are feeling overwhelmed to call a family member or friend, university counseling, or a hotline, but not to deal with difficult problems alone," Grace-Kobas said. Cornell Daily Sun staff writer Nicole Neroulias contributed to this article.