Family of missing Princeton student says they have been 'kept in the dark' about investigation
By Brynn Gingras and Nicki Brown, CNNUpdated: Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:41:11 GMTSource: CNNThe family of missing Princeton University student Misrach Ewunetie, who is working to put together a timeline of
By Brynn Gingras and Nicki Brown, CNNUpdated: Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:41:11 GMT
Source: CNN
The family of missing Princeton University student Misrach Ewunetie, who is working to put together a timeline of her whereabouts and is desperate for information, has been "kept in the dark" by authorities, according to her brother.
Ewunetie, 20, went missing six days ago, prompting university officials to intensify their search for the junior.
Her family is particularly alarmed she missed a meeting regarding her citizenship on Saturday, said her oldest brother, Universe Ewunetie.
"There's no constant update or interaction with us," he told CNN by phone on Thursday, referring to campus authorities and the prosecutor's office. "We're really kept in the dark."
Universe Ewunetie said authorities told him the investigation will take time. "That's one thing we don't have, we don't have time," he said.
CNN has sought comment from the prosecutor's office and the university's department of public safety about Universe Ewunetie's claims.
He said their father first tried contacting Miserach on Friday, but didn't connect and assumed she was busy.
By Saturday, calls and texts were going through, but still, no response -- and, by Sunday, the calls were going straight to voice mail.
Family members said they spoke to her roommates, who remembered her sleeping in her dorm room on Friday morning.
Ewunetie was last seen around 3 a.m. near a residential building on the New Jersey campus, according to the university.
The university first reported her missing on Monday and is urging anyone with information to contact the Department of Public Safety.
"As part of the continuing 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.
Officials said Ewunetie has black hair, brown eyes and a light brown complexion. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds.
Ewunetie was volunteering at one of the school's 11 eating clubs on Thursday night, the president of the club told the student newspaper, The Daily Princetonian. Terrace Club President Alexander Maravcsik told the paper Ewunetie was on "duty" doing housekeeping work during a live music performance at the club.
"On Thursday night, one of our members who was initially signed up for duty was unable to attend our event, and Misrach volunteered to cover their shift. After the club had closed and all of the duty responsibilities had been fulfilled, Misrach -- as well as the other members on duty -- left for the night," Maravcsik wrote to the paper.
Sara Elagad, executive director of the non-profit Minds Matter Cleveland, told CNN that Ewunetie's disappearance was unusual. Ewunetie was a 2020 graduate of the Minds Matter Cleveland program, which looks to close the education gap of high-achieving low-income students.
"It is not at all in character for her to purposely go off the radar or be out of touch with family," Elagad said. "We are supporting her family as they assist law enforcement efforts to safely locate her."
Ewunetie was a 2020 honors graduate of The Villa St. Angela - St. Joseph High School, according to a statement from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. "We are praying for her swift and safe return," a statement from Deacon James Armstrong read.
In an email to students, W. Rochelle Calhoun, Princeton's vice president for campus life, said Ewunetie's family had contacted the school Sunday night to request a well-being check after not hearing from her for several days.
"Since Sunday, DPS has been actively working with the Prosecutor's Office and with state and local police departments to follow all leads in the search for Misrach," Calhoun said in the email. "I am confident that all is being done to find Misrach."
