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Decomposing USC Grad Student's Body Found In His Dorm Room
On campus at USC (Photo by Michael Locke via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
A USC grad student's body was discovered in his dorm room Wednesday, approximately a week after his death. His body was discovered when a maintenance worker smelled a strong odor coming from a dorm room at the Seaver Residence Hall on the university's Health Sciences campus, according to KTLA. His room was a single-bed dorm room, according to the L.A. Times, so no roommate was present to find the body earlier. The student was identified as Jacob Kelly, a first year Master's student in Medical Physiology.
An autopsy is pending and it's unclear how Kelly died, but it is not a criminal matter, according to the LAPD. The Los Angeles Coroner's Office took over the investigation after preliminary work by LAPD, according to the Daily Trojan. Dr. Rohit Varma, dean of the medical school, addressed the university in a letter, saying, “It was with great sadness that we write to inform you of the passing of a member of our Keck School community."
The residence hall, at 1969 Zonal Ave, is part of the USC Health Sciences campus just north of the 10 freeway in Lincoln Heights.
USC's medical school has been under scrutiny after this summer's revelations around the actions of former dean Anthony Pulifato, who went on leave after the L.A. Times reported on his inappropriate drug use and behavior while in the school's employ.
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