Autopsy Comes Back for Univ. of Del. Student's Death

No trauma to the body found

An autopsy was performed on Brett Griffin Sunday that has ruled out bodily trauma as a cause of death, according to Newark Police.

There was no trauma noted on the body, according to Newark Police.

Griffin, a University of Delaware freshman was found dead early on Sunday following a fraternity function.

Alcohol poisoning is being investigated as a possible cause of death.

The cause of death is pending as officials wait for toxicology results.

The Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity released a statement on Griffin's death.

"Our thoughts go out to Mr. Griffin's family and to his friends in the Fraternity and campus community," said Executive Director Aaron Girson said.

"His loss is a blow to his friends in the Delta Lambda Chapter."

Griffin's funeral is to be held Monmouth Junction, N.J. on Thursday.

University of Delaware president Patrick T. Harker sent the following letter to the UDel community Monday afternoon about Griffin's death:

Our University community has suffered a terrible loss with the death of freshman Brett Griffin, who died Nov. 8 while at a party near the campus. The loss of a promising young person is particularly sad. Our deepest sympathies go out to Brett's family and friends.

For members of the University community who are having difficulty in these trying days, trained counselors are available at our Center for Counseling and Student Development in the Perkins Student Center. Staff in our Office of Student Life and the Dean of Students Office are following this situation very closely.

The University is cooperating fully with the City of Newark Police Department in its investigation into Brett's death, and I would encourage anyone with information to cooperate with the police.

While specific information is not yet available, we do know that alcohol played a role in the events of that night, and I want to emphasize that the abuse of alcohol is an issue we take very seriously here. For the past several years, we have participated in AlcoholEdu for College, a web-based alcohol education program that is required for all our incoming students. Our goal is to educate our students so they can make good and informed decisions about alcohol.

Please know that once the Newark Police Department has completed its investigation, the University will be determining if there were violations of our Code of Conduct and will take appropriate action.

Today, our top concern is for the family of Brett and for our students. On behalf of the University community, I extend our condolences in this difficult time.
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