Missing Vermont College Student Lia Smith Has Been Confirmed Dead, Medical Examiner Releases Her Manner of Death

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• A body found in Vermont on October 23 has been officially identified as missing Middlebury College student Lia Smith, 21.

• Smith’s manner of death was announced by the local medical examiner’s office

• Smith was reported missing on Sunday, October 19, two days after she was last seen on the Middlebury campus.

Missing Middlebury College student Lia Smith officially suspended confirmed dead.

Smith, 21, was reported missing by her father on Sunday, October 19, two days after she was last seen on campus. A body was found near the university by the Vermont State Police on Thursday, October 23, and an autopsy confirmed it was Smith’s. a press release Shared from the Vermont Police Department (VPD) on Friday, October 24.

The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Smith died by suicide, according to a statement.

PEOPLE reached out to both VPD and the Medical Examiner’s Office for comment on Saturday, Oct. 25, but did not immediately receive a response.

Ian Baucom, president of Middlebury College, announced the news to the campus community: Facebook He shared that he spoke to Smith’s family on Saturday and expressed his “heartbreak” to them.

“As president, and more importantly as a parent, I feel for them. This is a profound loss that no one should have to endure,” he continued.

“As we mourn, I want to express my deep appreciation for the efforts of our Student Affairs staff who provided compassionate support to Lia’s family, friends, and students in our community. We will continue to support them in every way possible,” Baucom said. he said.

He noted that Smith, who is from Woodside, California, was “an extraordinary person.”

“She was a diver on our Women’s Swimming and Diving team, a member of our Chess and Japanese clubs, and an outspoken advocate for transgender rights. Her academic interests were broad and she was a double major in computer science and statistics. She was a gift to us, and we are so grateful that she is and always will be a member of our Middlebury family,” he added.

The Middlebury Police Department said members of the Vermont State Police and Rescue Squad found Smith’s body near the university’s organic farm in Cornwall, Virginia. expression.

Never miss a story — sign up PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter To stay up to date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling juicy stories.

Middlebury students had joined authorities in the search for Smith. MyNBC5.

“We’re a really small community,” senior Lucy Schembre told the local news outlet during the search effort. “Even if you don’t know someone personally, you certainly know someone who knows them, and you’ve certainly seen them around you. It’s very shocking that someone who should be here isn’t here.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, emotional distress, substance use issues, or just needs to talk, call or text 988 or chat at: 988lifeline.org 24/7.

Read the original article People