Princeton Student Found Dead in Lake Carnegie

Lauren Blackburn, a 23-year-old Princeton University student from Indiana, was found dead in Lake Carnegie on April 25, nearly a week after he was last seen near Firestone Library around 6 p.m. on April 19. Authorities focused their search on the lake after tracing Blackburn’s cellphone to the area, which is frequently used by the university's rowing team. Blackburn was an English major, former staff writer for the student newspaper, and was set to graduate in 2026 after earning recognition as a National Merit Scholar in high school. The cause of death has not yet been released, and it remains unclear whether foul play is suspected. University officials, including Dean Regan Crotty and Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun, expressed deep condolences and urged the campus community to support one another. Blackburn’s disappearance and death have had a profound impact on Princeton.