Woman Found Dead In Port-A-Potty On W&J College Campus
WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- Authorities are investigating after a woman's body was found in a port-a-potty this morning on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington County.
According to a college spokesperson, the body of a woman was found just before 7 a.m. inside the portable toilet located near Beau Residence Hall, right off of Beau Street.
It's located on an on-campus construction site.
#BREAKING: Body of woman found inside portable toilet on Washington and Jefferson's campus near Beau Residence Hall. The portable toilet is on construction site on campus. Contractors don't know who she is & the college says she's not a student. It's unclear how she died. @KDKA
— Amy Wadas (@AmyWadas) September 3, 2019
College officials say one of the contractors tried to get in the port-a-potty, but it was locked and remained that way for quite a while.
"I've never had anything like that happen to me," junior Shannon Salley said. "I've been here three years."
The contractors called campus public safety and that's when the discovery was made.
The spokesperson tells KDKA that the incident is not connected to the residence hall, and that the contractors who found her do not know who she is.
She is not a student and does not appear to be affiliated with the college.
"These students really got here just two weeks ago," junior Adriana Rodriguez-Ruiz said. "So my biggest hope is that they're not shooken up by this incident, especially since they just began their time at W and J."
The Washington County Coroner's Office is investigating the woman's death as a suspected drug overdose. The woman has been identified as 30-year-old Margaret Tinglum of Hermitage, Pennsylvania.
The spokesperson said this incident appears to be isolated, and there is no reason to be concerned about campus safety.
The City of Washington Police are investigating.
In a statement released to the campus community, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Eva Chatterjee-Sutton said in part: "W&J CPS is continuing to work with the City of Washington Police Department, who has taken the lead in this investigation. This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no reason to be concerned about campus safety. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased in this tragic situation."
"It's definitely disheartening," Rodriguez-Ruiz said. "Thankfully, it wasn't someone that was part of our college community, but it's someone from the neighborhood, we imagine."
College officials say help is always available at the campus Health & Counseling Center.
