Student is found dead at SIUE

[Stiffler]

Source "Belleville News Democrate"

EDWARDSVILLE -- A 22-year-old Southern Illinois University Edwardsville sophomore from Belleville was found dead by hi roommate Thursday afternoon.
Peter A. White, who was living at SIUE's 503 Cougar Villiage Apt. 1 C, was found unresponsive on a couch by Eugene E. McMurray about 12:19 p.m., a press release issued by the Madison County corner's office stated.
McMurray contacted SIUE Police, who arrived on the scene and found white without signs of life. He was pronounced dead at 1:04 p.m. by cornor's investigator Roger D. Smith.
Preliminary investigations by the coronor's office indicate White's death could be drug-related, according to the press release.
An Autopsy is scheduled for 9 a.m. today (July 4), and a coroner's inquest will be scheduled at a later date.
SIUE spokesman Keith Nichols said White's mother was notified Thursday afternoon.
White, a political science major, was enrolled for some summer classes, Nichols said.
"At the moment, I don't think we'll know anything until the inquest," Nichols said. "From what we have been told, it does not appear that foul play was involved."
Jade Hornbaker, a 21-year-old vocal-performance major, said she moved in across the hall from White, McMurray and their roommate nearly two weeks ago.
On thursday, Hornbaker said she and her roommate were on their way to class when they bumbed into McMurray, who was returning home.
Gene had just opened the door when we walked past," Hornbaker said. "We had just walked past and he was like, 'Pete wake up. Pete wake up.' We didn't think much about it -- we didn't know Pete was dead."
After being questioned several times by police when she returned from class, Hornbaker said she took her Playstation 2 and retreated to a friend's air-conditioned apartment to put her mind at ease until her roommate returned home.
"I'm kind of freaked out," she said solemnly. "I was just in their apartment a few days ago."
Her friend Phil Dunlap, 21, said he ran into White on a few occasions, but didn't know him that well.
"I din't see him much," Dunlap said. "But this is all kind of surreal."


On a more personal note, y'all might be wondering why I wrote the entire article. Well, I knew Peter since the 1st grade. He lived just a few houses away from me, so we were at the same bus stop. He went to a different Junior High School, and then before High School started, he and his family moved to "Covered Bridge". On all days, it had to be July forth when I found out about it. I'm surprised his mother has not giving me a phone call yet, but I imagine that she is too distraught to do so.

Let freedom ring,let the white dove sing
let the whole world know that today
is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong,let the right be wrong
roll the stone away,let the guilty pay
it's Independence Day.
-Independence Day by Martina McBride

Jon

[Michael Kennedy]

Man, Jon, that's terrible news.  You, the White family, and everyone else who knew him have my deepest sympathy.  I can only imagine how tough it might have been to type that out.  I'm sure he will be sorely missed.

Once again, I wish the best for all of you who knew him.

[Stiffler]

Thanks Mek! Funeral Home visitations were last night, and Funeral Services were this morning. I was a pallbearer. I never thought I would ever need to do that for one of my best friends. Well, it was a very nice service. It's been difficult, of course, it never is.

Jon