Morgan White, was described as an "exotically handsome" 19-year old exchange student from Guildford University in England. People who knew him say he "loved to get soused and sing and hug people and go out carousing" with his friends and other British exchange students. By all accounts, White was a good student who was very outgoing, charming, and fun. One friend remembers him as "a great guy." He disappeared on Saturday, March 12, 1994 near the Michigan State University campus.
After being turned away from Dooley's Restaurant* in East Lansing, MI, due to their level of intoxication, White became sick and then somehow became separated from his friend. After failing to locate White, his friend returned home.
That night, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety received a call from a couple walking in the area who reported seeing someone in a white shirt swimming in the river. According to some reports, police and fire officials searched the river that day for four hours (other reports say 20 minutes) but found nothing. Because no missing people were on file yet, police did not return to the area to search.
Reported missing
On Tuesday, March 15, White was reported missing. MSU police then questioned White's friends and searched his room. It is not known what clues, if any, were found.
The following day, on March 16, MSU police contacted the Ingham County Sherriff's Department which began a difficult search of the Red Cedar River. The river had a 10 mph current and only 1-foot visibility. The dive boat was secured to trees on both sides of the river to help hold it in place.
At 3:30 p.m., a five-member dive team located White's body on the riverbed after a difficult five-hour search. One of the divers, Officer Ken Freeman, said the currents most likely pushed the body to the riverbed."
MSU Police Lt. Dale Metts said foul play was not suspected.
Lingering Questions
*The restaurant is now called Harper's Restaurant and Brew Pub. Its address is 131 Albert Street, East Lansing, Michigan.
Facts of Interest
Name/age: Morgan White, 19
Physical Description: 5'10 - 5'11, Caucasian/Asian
Last seen: Sat 3/12/94, Dooley's Restaurant, 131 Albert Street, Michigan
Recovered: Wed 3/16/94, 3:20 p.m., Red Cedar River
Water temperature: 35 degrees on Wed 3/16, and possibly colder on Sunday 3/13
After being turned away from Dooley's Restaurant* in East Lansing, MI, due to their level of intoxication, White became sick and then somehow became separated from his friend. After failing to locate White, his friend returned home.
That night, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety received a call from a couple walking in the area who reported seeing someone in a white shirt swimming in the river. According to some reports, police and fire officials searched the river that day for four hours (other reports say 20 minutes) but found nothing. Because no missing people were on file yet, police did not return to the area to search.
Reported missing
On Tuesday, March 15, White was reported missing. MSU police then questioned White's friends and searched his room. It is not known what clues, if any, were found.
Recovery and Investigation
At 3:30 p.m., a five-member dive team located White's body on the riverbed after a difficult five-hour search. One of the divers, Officer Ken Freeman, said the currents most likely pushed the body to the riverbed."
MSU Police Lt. Dale Metts said foul play was not suspected.
Lingering Questions
- Friends publicly questioned whether the police should have been more responsive to the report of a person swimming in the 35-degree river. It seems unlikely that anyone would purposely go swimming in such cold water, so alarm bells should have sounded that this was an urgent situation.
- White was wearing a brown suede jacket the night he disappeared. MSU's student newspaper, The State's News, printed a photograph of White's recovery in which one arm is visible from underneath a tarp. White appears to be wearing something dark and long sleeved--perhaps his suede jacket. Was he recovered wearing his jacket? If so, how is it that the couple did not see the jacket? They only reported seeing a man in a white shirt.
- White's friends have trouble believing the could just fall in the river, even if intoxicated. They say he was not depressed or suicidal, but also would not just decide to go swimming--White did not know how to swim and was actually terrified of water. So how did he end up in the water?
*The restaurant is now called Harper's Restaurant and Brew Pub. Its address is 131 Albert Street, East Lansing, Michigan.
Facts of Interest
Name/age: Morgan White, 19
Physical Description: 5'10 - 5'11, Caucasian/Asian
Last seen: Sat 3/12/94, Dooley's Restaurant, 131 Albert Street, Michigan
Recovered: Wed 3/16/94, 3:20 p.m., Red Cedar River
Water temperature: 35 degrees on Wed 3/16, and possibly colder on Sunday 3/13
16 comments:
What school was he attending at the time of death?
I have not been able to find any additional information on Morgan White. If anyone can help fill in the blanks, please send it to footprints.blogmail@yahoo.com.
Try contacting Michigan State University's News Paper the State News - they should have something in their archive. I went to jr. and high school and MSU w/ Ryan Gets - #6 on your list. It's amazing the links that you have put together already - Good Luck!
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, MSU's online archives only go back to 2000. I'm afraid I'm not too knowledgeable at researching things old school (without the web). If anyone knows how to find this information online or lives locally and finds themselves at a library, the info. would be much appreciated.
drowned
2001-03-10
HAYDUK,
Justin
18
U. of Pittsburg, but taking break in Morgantown WV
Morgantown
WV
while on spring break from Pitt, ran from police when police stopped van in which he and friend were driving.
found in the Monogahela
It is interesting coincidence that Morgan white was from the uk and another victim Justin HAYDUK,was in Morgantown taking a break when he went missing.
Morgan White attended Michigan State University and went missing in March, 1994. He was last seen in a parking lot after a night of drinking. His friends left him there after they were unable to wake him.
According to: Childseeknetwork.com
I researched Morgan White a long while ago and could never find anything on this case. What I did find, if anything, though it seems concidental, has to do with the history of Michigan State University.
There is an article under the MSU website about the history of their collection of stained glass (religious) windows.
http://museum.msu.edu/museum/msgc/mar07.html
"The attached MORGAN Memorial Chapel [attached to St. Paul's Episcopal Church] was commissioned by Marquette businessman Peter White in memory of his son, MORGAN Lewis WHITE, who died in 1878 at the age of 12. Designed by Cobb and Frost of Chicago, the chapel was constructed in 1887-1889."
Further research on Morgan Lewis White led to dead links. One such dead link though suggests, through a snippet of what was left of the article on google, he died of diptheria.
The only connection here is the school, the name, and possible religious aspect.
Hm, I just went on that childseeknetwork.com site and searched Morgan up. No matter what information I input, it yielded no results. :\ I went on Google trying to search for more information, but, sadly, nothing.
I hope we can get more information on this eventually.
Morgan White is listed on their old site:
http://www.childseeknetwork.com/oldsite/commonalities.htm
I am Morgan s little sister. He was wearing a brown suede jacket that night. Considering it was 3 feet snow or something like it was strange that he was found without it both he AND the jacket should have been ducked down the storm drain. The police were called that night by a couple who heard my brother shout for help. As I understand it the police were called did a cursory 20 min search and decided to come back the next morning. The police never wanted to look beyond the fact my brother's blood alcohol level was raised and I am personally convinced of a cover up by the university dean and director. They trod very carefully when my parents came to visit there was a secret they wanted to keep. I will never forget the young man who came up to me at the American version of a wake and basically told me it was him that done it. I was too young too understand what he meant but with years now I understand the look of guilt and gloating. There are some sick people in this world. My parents knew and although we never got justice for the loss to us of a truly beautiful soul it is better than living with the stain of having snuffed out one set for the stars. In memory of my truly beautiful brother and to the wound it caused our family from which we will never ever recover. We love h so much. And thank you Charlie Caine from the local Lansing paper for being a light to my parents quest for justice. He is somewhere out there with Vicki I know it. Morgan Michael Laurence White Guildford University and MSU student devoted brother son and boyfriend and in heaven a father I live in hope. Amen.
See Case Studies in Drowning Forensics page 211 on Google Books where Morgan is listed with three others as drowning in Red Cedar River and a serial killer is seriously discussed in relation to these deaths. My poor brother.
It's very likely he stopped at the river to urinate. There is a cement structure he may have been standing on.
The police and fire department refused to bring the witness to the river and failed to search either the water nor the bank.
This episode still bothers me 25 years later.
I found the newspaper article as I was going through some of my things...
Happy to share it with anyone...
bobpratt48@gmail.com
I remember Morgan…. I was one of his floormates in Landon Hall. Morgan was in the room directly across from mine and this happened during spring break. I was working at the Kellogg Center during the break to earn extra money and I recall when this happened. To Morgan’s sister I’m sorry that you lost you brother. He was very lively and although I didn’t get too spend a lot of time with him as I was a new member of the Marching Band he was always nice and liked by others on the floor.
Are there any pictures of him?
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