12/15/13: Jacob Anderson, 19, Minneapolis, MN

 

Jacob W. Anderson

A University of Minnesota freshman was found dead Sunday morning near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minn.

Police believe that after walking a girl home from a party, Jacob W. Anderson, 19, may have hit his head and subsequently frozen to death outside. His body was found about 8:45 a.m. on the ground, possibly the riverbank, just east of the Stone Arch Bridge near main Street and 6th Avenue NE, not far from campus. Temperatures had dropped to one degree below zero Saturday night, when Anderson had walked the girl home.

Fox 9 News has reported, "Family members told Fox 9 their son was walking a girl home from a party and while walking back, he somehow ended up down the steep bank next to the bridge, possibly slipping and falling on the ice. No one can figure out how he got there, just that he couldn't get back up."

Police have said foul play is not involved. They are continuing to investigate. The cause of death is will be determined by the Hennepin County medical examiner.

Jake, as he was known by his friends, was a popular varsity lacrosse goalie and co-captain at Orono High School. The team captured the section 8 championship in 2013. He had also played football.

Jake's fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha,
posted a photo of this snow memorial
on their website, along with their condolences.

Jake was enrolled as a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts and lived in Pioneer Hall, a dormitory on campus. He was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

According to the Star Tribune, "On Monday, tributes and expressions of grief poured into Anderson’s Facebook page, and by evening, more than 300 donations totaling more than $18,000 had been made to a Give It Forward site set up by family and friends to help raise funeral costs, as well as airfare to bring Jake’s sister, Emily, home from New Zealand."

 Jacob Anderson is survived by his parents, Bill and Kristi, and siblings Emily and Luke.

Our deepest sympathies are with the Anderson family and his many friends and loved ones.




Sources

Adams, Jim and Lonetree, Anthony. (2013, December 16). U freshman found dead on riverbank near Stone Arch Bridge. Star Tribune.com. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from http://www.startribune.com/local/235969181.html.

Daily Mail Reporter. (2013, December 16). Freshman, 19,  found 'frozen to death' on banks of the Mississippi River. Daily Mail.com. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2524660/Freshman-Jacob-W-Anderson-frozen-death-riverbank.html

LaBelle, Lindsey. (2013, Dec. 17). Beloved U freshman, Orono grad, found near Stone Arch Bridge. MyFoxTwinCities.com. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/24225218/body-found-near-stone-arch-bridge#ixzz2nnlPoQfP

Staff Reports. (2013, Dec. 16). Donation fund set up by family, friends of U student found dead by river. Star Tribune. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from: http://www.startribune.com/local/236099741.html.