Police Investigating Whether Hazing Was a Factor in Dartmouth Student's Death

Police in New Hampshire are now investigating the possibility that the death of a Dartmouth College student over the weekend may have been the result of alcohol-fueled hazing after receiving tips from the public.

Dartmouth sophomore Won Jang, 20, from Middletown, Del., was last seen around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, while attending an "informal social gathering" at docks near the Dartmouth boathouse on the Connecticut River, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

The agency was notified that Jang was missing at around 4 p.m. Sunday, and joined the Hanover Police Department and the Hanover, Lebanon, and Hartford, VT, Fire Departments at the scene, where they had begun a preliminary search.

Boat crews, sonar teams, drone teams and divers searched the area after "items found near the dock indicated that Jang hadn’t left the river area." Jang’s body was located in the Connecticut River by the underwater camera at around 7:25 p.m.

Hanover Police initially reported that foul play was not suspected, but asked the public for tips about the circumstances of Jang's death.

Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis told WCAX on Monday that while foul play is still not suspected, some anonymous tips sent to the Ivy League school suggested hazing may have been a factor.

"We have received some emails that were forwarded to us from the college that were sent anonymously listing some of those concerns that hazing or potentially alcohol may be involved, so that will certainly be part of our investigation as we move forward through this process,” Dennis told the outlet. “Certainly, this is a tragic event. Certainly, our condolences go out to the family and also to the friends and the other people at the college. We are looking for any information we can get to help us do a thorough and timely investigation."

—TMX contributed to this report.