WSU Student Died 4 Hours Before 911 Call, Coroner Says

PULLMAN, WA — A 19-year-old freshman found dead at a Washinton State University fraternity house last week had died four hours before someone called 911, according to the Whitman County Coroner's Office. The Associated Press reports Sam Martinez, of Bellevue, died at the Alpha Tau Omega House around 4:30 a.m. The first 911 call was placed around 8:30 a.m.

A WSU spokesman told KHQ-TV the university had no reason to believe anyone hesitated to call 911 once Martinez was found.

Investigators believe alcohol was a contributing factor in the death but said no other substances appear to have played a role. Detectives have ruled out hazing, as defined by the law, but the university told local media a school investigation will explore all possibilities. WSU Greek organizations have suspended all fraternity and sorority social events for the rest of the semester.

Martinez's parents released a statement last week, remembering Sam as "a comet that came and went through our lives too quickly." A candlelight vigil was planned in front of the fraternity house Tuesday night.

The coroner's full report on the cause and manner of death is still in progress.