It’s been five days since 20-year-old Misrach Ewunetie, a student at Princeton University, went missing, prompting university officials to step up their investigation.
Ewunetie was last seen around 3 a.m. near an apartment building on the New Jersey campus, according to the university. The university first reported her missing on Monday and continues to ask the public for information on her whereabouts as the department of public safety ramps up search efforts.
“As part of the ongoing efforts to locate missing undergraduate student Misrach Ewunetie ’24, there is an increased law enforcement presence on and around campus today, including the use of a helicopter, drones and watercraft,” the university said in an update to the community . Wednesday morning.
The university is urging anyone with information about the investigation to contact the Department of Public Safety.
Officials said Ewunetie has black hair, brown eyes and a light brown complexion. He is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs around 130 pounds.
Ewunetie volunteered at one of the school’s 11 food clubs Thursday night, the club’s president told the student newspaper The Daily Princetonian. Terrace Club President Alexander Maravcsik told the newspaper Ewunetie was a member on “duty” doing housework during a live music performance at the eating club.
“On Thursday night, one of our members originally signed up for duty was unable to attend our event and Misrach volunteered to cover their shift. After the club was closed and all the responsibilities of duty had been fulfilled, Mishrah — as well as the other burdensome members — left for the night,” Maravchik wrote in the newspaper.
Sara Elagad, executive director of the nonprofit Minds Matter Cleveland, told CNN that Ewunetie’s disappearance was out of character. Ewunetie was a 2020 graduate of Cleveland’s Minds Matter program, which strives to close the gap in education with high-achieving low-income students.
“It’s not at all in her character to intentionally go off the radar or be out of touch with family,” Elagad said. “We support her family as they assist law enforcement efforts to locate her safely.”
In an email to students, W. Rochelle Calhoun, Princeton’s vice president for campus life, said Ewunetie’s family contacted the school Sunday night to request a welfare check after not hearing from her for several days .
“As of Sunday, DPS has been actively working with the District Attorney’s Office and with state and local law enforcement agencies to follow up on all leads in the search for Misrach,” Calhoun said in the email. “I’m sure everything is being done to find Misrach.”
