The body of Northwestern pre-med student Harsha Maddula was found floating near boats at a harbor in Wilmette, Illinois. There are no signs of foul play and the case is under investigation. Maddula was last seen leaving a party on Saturday at 12:30. He was not intoxicated. Click below to read more.
The body of missing Northwestern University student Harsha Maddula has been found, university officials say.
A fisherman found the body floating near some boats at a harbor in Wilmette, Ill., Thursday night, according to ABC News affiliate WLS-TV.
Maddula’s wallet, Northwestern ID card and his cellphone were found on the body, according to Northwestern University spokesman Alan Cubbage.
“Wilmette Police investigators on the scene said there were no signs of foul play on the body,” Cubbage said in a news conference Thursday night.
The cause of death is under investigation.
“On behalf of Northwestern University, I extend our deepest sympathies to Harsha’s family and to his many friends at Northwestern,” university president Morton Schapiro said in a statement. “Our hearts and thoughts are with them. The loss of one member of the Northwestern community deeply affects us all.”
Maddula, 18, disappeared Saturday after he left a party near Northwestern’s campus around 12:30 a.m., according to school officials. His cellphone last pinged a cell tower near Wilmette Harbor around 1 a.m.
Divers searched the Lake Michigan harbor for hours Wednesday, but found no signs of Maddula, according to a statement from the university early Thursday.
The family of the sophomore pre-med student flew from their home in Long Island, N.Y., to assist with the search, and put up a $25,000 reward for information on his whereabouts. They described Maddula as a bookworm not prone to adventures or partying.
“We really have no idea, no clue what could have happened to him,” his cousin, Srinu Maddula, told ABC News early Thursday. “It’s just out of his character. He’s just a good kid, he just likes to study. He really enjoys school and education and work. He doesn’t smoke, or drink, or do drugs because of his diabetic condition.”
