Former student dies in town on Halloween

Author: Scott Greene

Select members of the College community received news of another tragedy in the early hours of Oct. 31, when former student Matti Rudolph was found dead after a night in which he was escorted home for violating an on-campus ban. Rudolph, who enrolled at and withdrew from the College multiple times over the last seven years, had been living in town since last year.

Police received a phone call from a male roommate at 6:10 a.m. on Oct. 31 from Rudolph's Court Street home, according to a report given to The Campus by The Middlebury Police Department (MPD). The report states that officers arrived on scene shortly thereafter. On Nov. 2, The Buffalo News reported Rudolph's "sudden" death.

As of press time on Nov. 5, authorities had not publicly released the cause of Rudolph's death and the College had not formally notified the community. President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz said that the medical examiner had not yet concluded an investigation of the death, but that the College, per its policy, did not intend on making a formal announcement.

"This is a great tragedy, and we've had our share of tragedies over the last year," Liebowitz said when reached for comment on Nov. 4. "Our heart goes out to the father and to the family and friends. It's the worst possible thing that happens on a college campus."

According to Dean of the College Gus Jordan, Rudolph received a no-trespass order banning him from campus following an undisclosed incident on Oct. 20. MPD officers were notified after Rudolph was reported to be back on campus after midnight on Oct. 31 at Brackett House, where members of the Tavern social house live.

"I understand that at some point that morning [MPD officers] made contact with Mr. Rudolph, though we do not know the nature of that interaction," Jordan wrote in an e-mail. "I am not aware of any other contacts made by College officials that morning."

The College's Department of Public Safety, in its weekly public log released on Nov. 3, included no record of Rudolph's appearance on campus.

Rudolph was accompanied home by a friend, according to Natalie Sammarco '08.5, who lives in Brackett House and knew Rudolph. She had seen him in a town bar that evening and returned home at 1:15 a.m. Sammarco said that Rudolph had been dealing with multiple personal problems, but did not think he had been intoxicated when she saw him earlier in the evening. Rudolph arrived at Brackett House shortly after she returned.

"At 2:15 a.m. somebody got me and said 'you have to come out here because Matti's in the house,'" she said. Aware of the no-trespass order against him, Rudolph's friends persuaded him to leave the house and notified Public Safety. Around 3 a.m., a friend picked up Rudolph and drove him home.

According to Sammarco, MPD came to Rudolph's house to confirm that he was there shortly before 4 a.m.

Middlebury Chief of Police Tom Hanley did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Only certain students, who knew Rudolph personally or serve as Residential Life advisors, were alerted and called the morning of the incident to consult with members of the College's Residential Life staff.

According to a student present at one of the meetings, who asked not to be named, Atwater Commons Dean Scott Barnicle, Director of the Center for Campus Activities & Leadership (CCAL) Doug Adams and Senior Residence Director Lee Zerrilla cautioned those in attendance to be on alert for behavior that was out of the ordinary.

"Scott Barnicle told us that the heightened use of alcohol on campus on Halloween night could trigger some psychological issues among the people that were affected [by Rudolph's death]," said the student, who added that the Commons deans had reported an increase in the amount of psychological problems on campus this semester.

Barnicle did not respond to an e-mail request seeking comment about the meeting.

Jordan said that though the College often shares information with the community when families release it, will not make a formal announcement of Rudolph's death.

"We announce the deaths of current students," he said, "but we do not typically alert the community to the deaths of alums or former students." He also stressed that the College does not speculate about the cause of death of any of its students or alums.

Liebowitz said that the College "has a very defined set of protocols" when a death occurs in the community, and "we follow that pretty much to the law."

Sammarco said that people in Brackett house maintained a complicated relationship with Rudolph, who was enrolled at the College from 2002-2004 and again during the fall of 2007. Still, she stressed that she had never met anyone more loyal to Middlebury or Tavern in her life.

"I know that the College wants to distance itself from the situation right now," she said, "but he was a part of [the Tavern] community and very much a part of the College community."

Sammarco said that the members of Tavern had come together to support each other during what has been a shocking and tragic past week. She and other members of Brackett House, along with other people who knew Rudolph personally, were scheduled to drive to Buffalo, N.Y. on Nov. 5 for a burial service being held by his family.