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Officials To Release Cause Of CSU Student's Death

Spady's Family Doesn't Blame Fraternity

POSTED: 6:55 am MDT September 9, 2004
UPDATED: 11:57 am MDT September 9, 2004

Later Thursday, the Larimer County coroner could release the official cause of death of a young woman found dead in a CSU fraternity house over the weekend.

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Police suspect Samantha Spady, 19, died from an alcohol overdose. Two newspapers have reported she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.43 percent, but coroner's officials have not confirmed that figure.

Spady's family considers her death a "tragic accident" and holds no ill will toward the fraternity, Sigma Pi, or any of its members.

Nile Dragoo, a spokesman for Spady's family, said Spady considered the Sigma Pi house to be her second home, and that her family is thankful to the fraternity, CSU and police for the help and support they've offered this week.

"In 19 years she didn't make any mistakes," Dragoo told reporters. "This weekend she made one mistake, and it cost her the ultimate."

The sophomore was found in an empty lounge room at the Sigma Pi house on Sunday night.

Police say the night before the woman's car was found abandoned in southeast Fort Collins.

Friends have told police she had a flat tire. She was driving in a rain storm, when she hit a median which blew out her tire. Investigators want to know what happened between that time and when her body was found at the fraternity.

She was discovered by a fraternity member about 12 hours after she died.

Police have ruled out foul play but are still trying to figure out when Spady arrived at the fraternity and who knew she was there. She had called friends who came to pick her up sometime after the end of the CU-CSU football game.

Funeral Services for Spady are scheduled for Friday in her hometown of Beatrice, Neb. The memorial service will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church.

Police have searched the Sigma Pi house but the warrant is sealed, according to Larimer County court officials. The fraternity has been suspended by its national headquarters pending the outcome of the investigation.

CSU sophomore Lauren Mann said it wasn't like Spady to overdrink.

"She was not a problem drinker, not like that," she said.

In high school, Spady was involved in the DARE program as well as being cheerleading captain, senior class president, homecoming queen and a member of the National Honor Society.

Send condelences to Spady's family through the funeral home's Web site.


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