Autopsy reveals blood clot as cause of death for freshman

Posted to On Campus by Zach Toombs at 2:58 p.m., Oct. 20, 2009

An autopsy performed Monday evening determined a blood clot traveling from the leg to the lungs was the cause of death for freshman Tracy Fisher, who died Monday.

Ariel Goldschmidt, deputy medical examiner for Boone County who performed the autopsy, said the blood clot traveling into Fisher’s lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, could have been caused by a number of factors.

“You can have certain medical conditions that would increase your risk, but, as of now, we don’t know if she had one,” Goldschmidt said.

According to the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office, Fisher’s death might have been caused by an undiagnosed condition.

“We’re going to look further into this, but we may never know what risk factors played a part here,” Goldschmidt said.

The Jewish Student Organization and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi will hold a memorial service for Fisher at Hillel today, what would have been her 19th birthday, at 6:15 p.m. in the sanctuary.