Freshman becomes FOURTH student to be found dead at North Carolina college

  • Mary Catherine Johnson of Raleigh, North Carolina was found unresponsive in her dorm room at Appalachian State University on Monday
  • Students Anna Smith, Grayson Huffman and Jeremy Sprinkle have also all been found dead this year with foul play no considered a factor 
  • Despite all this, the university says they will not look into these students deaths, leaving the work to 'local law enforcement' 

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:26 EST, 24 January 2015 | Updated: 11:38 EST, 24 January 2015

A fourth student has been found dead at Appalachian State University this school year.

Mary Catherine Johnson, 19, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found unresponsive in her dorm room on Monday by police at the university.

This after Anna Smith, an 18-year-old freshman from High Point, was found dead in September; Grayson Huffman, 22, of Harrisburg was found dead at an off campus apartment in November; and Jeremy Sprinkle, 18, of Kernersville was found dead that same month in his dorm room.

Mary Catherine Johnson (right with two friends), 19, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found unresponsive in her dorm room on Monday by police

Mary Catherine Johnson (right with two friends), 19, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found unresponsive in her dorm room on Monday by police

She is the fourth student to be found dead at Appalachian State University (above) this school year

She is the fourth student to be found dead at Appalachian State University (above) this school year

Despite all this however, the university is not investigating Johnson's death they told the Winston-Salem Journal.

'The death of a student is something that we would expect to be investigated by local law enforcement and health authorities in cooperation with the campus,' said Joni Worthington, a spokeswoman for the UNC system.

Appalachian State is part of the University of North Carolina system, with approximately 15,000 undergraduates. 

Grayson Huffman
Jeremy Sprinkle

Grayson Huffman (left), 22, of Harrisburg was found dead at an off campus apartment in November and Jeremy Sprinklen (right), 18, of Kernersville was found dead that same month in his dorm room.

Anna Smith
Anna Smith

Anna Smith (above), an 18-year-old freshman from High Point, was found dead in September

No other details about Johnson's death have been made available at this time.

Many believe that all four students may have taken their own lives. 

Friends of the girl remembered her on Facebook by writing a quote from the Harry Potter movies delivered by Dobby; 'What a beautiful place to be with friends.' 

There was a fifth death at the university this Thursday as well, when a 21-year-old died in a car accident. 

For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org. 

 

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