Female student found dead at Whittier College; foul play is not suspected

Police are investigating the death of a Whittier College student after her body was found Thursday in a campus dorm room.

Officers received a report of an unresponsive woman and arrived to find the student dead about 4:30 p.m. inside the dorm room at Johnson Hall, a first-year residential housing building on campus, according to the Whittier Police Department. The cause of her death has not been determined.

Police advised students and staff that there was no need to be frightened about the sudden death.

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“Though it is early in the investigation, there does not appear to be any sign of foul play,” the Police Department said in a statement. “We are not searching for any suspects at this time and there is no known threat to the community.”

In a letter on the college’s website, school administrators said the student’s parents had been notified.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s loved ones,” the college said in its letter.

School officials encouraged students to attend classes Friday and offered counseling services. Students who missed class or did not participate would not be penalized, school officials said.

“We believe it is best for our community -- and especially our students -- to have classes meet tomorrow,” the college said Thursday. “We feel that having the community be present; to be together in support of each other is important.”

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