WSU student found dead in dorm room, police investigating

Police are investigating after a student at Washington State University was found dead inside his dorm room on Sunday.

Whitman County Coroner's Office identified the student as 19-year-old Luke Morgan Tyler, who was found dead inside the Streit/Perham residence hall Sunday afternoon.

The WSU Police Department is investigating the incident. Chief Gary Lee Jenkins said investigators found no evidence of foul play at the scene.

"It is premature to form any conclusion about what the cause and manner of death are. We are working with the Whitman County Coroner’s Office to investigate the circumstances," said Jenkins.

Details are limited at this time, and officials with WSU said whenever a student death occurs, the university has specific protocols it follows with procedures that are put in place out of respect for both the families and the investigative process. 

"There has been a significant amount of conjecture regarding the circumstances surrounding this incident and the actual cause of the student’s passing. I would caution the public against speculation at this point in the investigation. The facts in this case are still being gathered. It could be several weeks before the coroner’s office determines the cause and manner of death. We want to ensure that the investigation can proceed unimpeded," said Phil Weiler, Vice President of University Marketing and Communications for WSU.

According to The Daily Evergreen, Tyler was a member of a fraternity at WSU.

Erin Lasher, assistant director for the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life, emailed the Greek community on Wednesday:

"These situations evoke a variety of emotions; sadness, confusion, fear, anger. We know that in these circumstances, it's hard to make sense of what happened. All of us want to help, and we can feel lost on how to do so."

There has already been widespread speculation on campus of a link between Tyler’s death and Greek Row; a petition calling to shut down the WSU fraternity Theta Chi has more than 7,600 signatures.

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WSU is no stranger to controversy surrounding deaths on Greek Row—the death of 19-year-old Sam Martinez at the Alpha Tau Omega house in 2019 has prompted efforts in the State Legislature to end hazing culture with "Sam's Law."

The bill is currently being considered by a House committee in Olympia, where Sam's mother recently testified. An executive session to consider the bill is set for Thursday.