(WWJ) The death of a Royal Oak woman whose body was found last month on the campus of Grand Valley State University has been ruled accidental.
Taylor DeRosa, an 18-year-old student, was found dead by a jogger near the cross-country trail the morning December 12, with officials at the time saying he death was considered "suspicious."
The Grand Valley State University Police Department and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office then launched a joint investigation.
In an update Thursday, the school now says that a medical examiner has ruled the young woman's death an accident.
No cause or manner of death was provided.
In a statement, GVSU President Philomena Mantella called DeRosa's death a "terrible tragedy for her family and all those close to her."
Mantella continued: "We are a caring community and our hearts go out to all who knew and loved Taylor. Our routines during COVID have put physical space between us, but we should work to stay emotionally connected, especially as we grieve the loss of a promising young woman who was part of our campus community."
Grand Valley Police Chief Brandon DeHaan reiterated his earlier statement that there was never any safety risk to the campus associated with this sad event.
DeRosa was a Royal Oak High School Class of 2020 graduate, and was in her first year at GVSU at the time of her death.
An message on an online fundraising page for DeRosa's memorial described her as "beautiful, strong, courageous, smart and sweet," adding: "Taylor lived a passionate, involved life as an advocate for gun control, Black Lives Matter, women's rights, and a host of other organizations and movements that supported human equality, fairness and truth."
