SMU student Lauren Marchica (right) writes a note to Jordan Crist at the memorial service held in his memory Wednesday night in Perkins Chapel. (Nick McCarthy)
It will be at least three weeks until friends and family of first-year student Jordan Crist know how he died. Crist was found unresponsive Wednesday morning in a dorm room on the third floor of Perkins Hall.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office said Thursday toxicology and electrolyte tests are needed to determine the cause of death. Those results could take between three weeks and three months to get back.
The examiner’s office also conducted an autopsy Wednesday afternoon, but the results will not be released until the other tests come back.
A memorial service was held Thursday night for friends of Crist inside Perkins Chapel. Media were not allowed inside.
Interim SMU Police Chief Richard Shafer said a call was received at 10:22 a.m. Wednesday from a cell phone asking for help. University Park fire and emergency personnel responded along with SMU Police.
SMU Police were first on the scene and attempted CPR on Crist, but they said he was not in good shape. A few minutes after that, UP personnel arrived and also began efforts to revive Crist. They moved Crist into the hallway and continued to work, but Shafer said he was unresponsive to any efforts.
“They tried diligently to resuscitate him, but that wasn’t possible,” Shafer said.
UP paramedics transported Crist to Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, where he was declared dead at 11:05 a.m.
SMU Police have talked with people who were with Crist the night before he died, but declined to release what they have found. Their investigation is still ongoing and Shafer said they are not done talking to potential witnesses. He asks that if anyone has any information that might be useful to the investigation to contact SMU Police at (214) 768-3388.
Though Crist was found in Perkins, he lived in the Morrison McGinnis Residence Hall.
Dean of Student Life Dee Siscoe said students in both residence halls have been offered free counseling services. Staff members from the campus counseling center and the Chaplin’s office have been on-site the past two days to talk with students affected by the death.
Siscoe said a large number of students have opted to talk with the counselors.
“We try to meet their needs,” she said.
Crist, 19, was from Hinsdale, Ill.
A wake will be held in his hometown on Saturday.
Crist is survived by his parents, Peter and Stephanie, and two older brothers, Josh and Zach.
Crist is the second SMU student to die this school year two days before final exams begin.
Sophomore Jacob “Jake” Stiles was found dead in his room in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house two days before final exams in the fall. The cause of his death was a lethal cocktail of expensive prescription pain killer fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol, according to a report from the Dallas County Medical Examiner.
Stiles was from Naperville, Ill., which is 12 miles away from Hinsdale. Both cities are suburbs of Chicago.
