Autopsy: alcohol cause of Cornell student’s death
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Excessive alcohol consumption caused a Cornell University freshman’s death during a spring break visit with a friend at the University of Virginia, an autopsy found.
Matthew Pearlstone, 19, of St. Louis was found dead in a U.Va. dormitory room March 17.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Excessive alcohol consumption caused a Cornell University freshman’s death during a spring break visit with a friend at the University of Virginia, an autopsy found.
Matthew Pearlstone, 19, of St. Louis was found dead in a U.Va. dormitory room March 17. Arkuie Williams, central district administrator for the medical examiner’s office in Richmond, listed “alcohol intoxication” as the cause of death.
Williams would not disclose Pearlstone’s blood-alcohol level. He said the death was an accident.
Howard Pearlstone said his grandson had been out “partying” the night before he died. He also said his grandson had struggled with alcohol problems in the past.
Matthew Pearlstone was a computer science and electrical engineering student. He had been a marathon runner in high school.
Howard Pearlstone said his grandson “had accomplishments out of this world. He had a tremendously high IQ. …Anything he touched, he did extremely well.”
Cornell spokesman Simeon Moss said counseling services would be offered at Matthew Pearlstone’s dormitory.
“He seemed to be a very popular student here,” Moss said.
