OK - "Beautiful, intelligent, likeable, funny": pre-med coed found dead on OU campus

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Was she with friends, who left her to die, discovered after the fall by campus personnel? Was climbing the admin building fire escape a prank? Neither murder nor suicide, it seems, but questions abound after Casey Cooke's body found on the University of Oklahoma's main campus at Norman:

Tragedy as brilliant university student who was preparing to go to
medical school is found dead on campus 'after falling from fire escape'
(Daily Mail)
A promising University of Oklahoma student who was preparing to go to medical school was found dead on campus after falling from a fire escape, according to her family.

An investigation has been launched after Casey Cooke was found unresponsive shortly before 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.
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The 22-year-old was found lying east of Evans Hall, which is the central administrative building on campus, by university staff who patrol the area, according to The Oklahoman.

Cooke's body was sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy and to determine cause of death.
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She was a zoology major, and was pursuing a second degree in Spanish while preparing for medical school entrance exams.
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more, with several pictures, at DM link above

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[Campus personnel] tried CPR but Cooke had already died.

School officials aren’t saying much about the circumstances surrounding Cooke’s death but her family said she fell from a fire escape.

Her uncle said it is still unclear why she was climbing the fire escape alongside Evans Hall.
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"She was so smart and so beautiful inside and out. She was easy to get along with and I know that because of our friendship I am a better person,” childhood friend Madelyn Russell said.
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Casey’s sister tweeted: I love you so much Casey. You were the greatest sister anyone could have ever asked for. ❤
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more at kfor.com link below:

Friends, family remember OU student
 
When my daughter was in college, she told me about being at a party and several people, including her, went up on the roof of the house. I couldn't imagine why she would have done that but there was alcohol involved and it probably didn't seem risky at the time. Also, a freshman student fell off the roof of his dorm and died. He had gone up there to look at the stars.

I'm assuming that there were people with Casey otherwise how would her family know that she was climbing up the fire escape.
 
Sounds like a dare gone bad. The OU campus is less than 10 miles from me but I am not familiar with how their dormitories are run. Perhaps, (even though she was of age, I have heard OU has tough policies with drinking and such- and assuming it was her dorm building she fell from) the dormitories have student run check ins at night for safety reasons and she was trying to bypass for whatever reason by sneaking in.

I do honestly lean toward dare gone wrong- seems so random to be 'alone' after midnight as a 22 year old scaling buildings- I would guess other people would have had to have been around to witness and they would have to have not been her closest group of friends. For them to have left her if that is what happened.

I find it odd, that a 22 year old woman who was nearing prep for entering medical college was running around so late doing such malarky. This sounds like something a much younger 'youngin' would do.

All armchair speculation- wasn't that long ago I was young and crazy myself and I am just trying to envision a likely scenario. Poor girl, I am sure she would have done wonderful things with her life.

:twocents:
 
The fire escape was on an admin building, and she wasn't enrolled in school so I'm doubting she was living on campus, though she may have been staying at her sorority, if it was open during summer.
 
Sounds like a dare gone bad. The OU campus is less than 10 miles from me but I am not familiar with how their dormitories are run. Perhaps, (even though she was of age, I have heard OU has tough policies with drinking and such- and assuming it was her dorm building she fell from) the dormitories have student run check ins at night for safety reasons and she was trying to bypass for whatever reason by sneaking in.

I do honestly lean toward dare gone wrong- seems so random to be 'alone' after midnight as a 22 year old scaling buildings- I would guess other people would have had to have been around to witness and they would have to have not been her closest group of friends. For them to have left her if that is what happened.

I find it odd, that a 22 year old woman who was nearing prep for entering medical college was running around so late doing such malarky. This sounds like something a much younger 'youngin' would do.

All armchair speculation- wasn't that long ago I was young and crazy myself and I am just trying to envision a likely scenario. Poor girl, I am sure she would have done wonderful things with her life.

:twocents:

Speaking of a dare and being left by friends (hope that DIDNT happen): my nephew had a tight group of friends during college. They stopped by one night to pick him up for a group 'dare', jumping into a swimming pool from several floors up, 4 I believe. He passed, as the pool was closed and this was way out of bounds. Anyway, his best friend jumped first, missed the pool, smacked the concrete, and rolled into the pool. Terrified and in shock, SURE that he could not have survived, the rest of the pack ran. Next day when his body was recovered it was found that his only injuries were broken wrists and ankles and he would have been fine had they pulled him out of the water. He died by drowning. They have to live out their lives with this knowledge. And yes, there was much drinking involved. They are all 30s and successful men today but tortured souls. I have used this true story for many 'teaching moments' with young folks testing the capacity of their livers. :(
 
She had a little glint in her eye that made me think she might have had some daredevil in her-- then the article related that she was a gymnast and a cheerleader in high school, so yeah, she was gutsy.

I immediately wonder if there is an extreme sport that might involved a building of that height... cause that was no small structure! :waitasec: Anyway, I hope she was in her right mind (not drunk or loaded) and this was an accident in pursuit of some form of achievement.

Devastating for her family and friends, in any case. :cry:
 
Fire escapes removed at OU building after death (Daily Oklahoman)
NORMAN — Workers at the University of Oklahoma have removed the fire escapes from an administrative building where a 22-year-old student fell to her death last week.

A local newspaper reports that crews removed two fire escapes from Evans Hall on Monday.
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OU's director of facilities management, Brian Ellis, says the fire escapes are not necessary for Evans Hall fire evacuation plans.
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The university police department says it had no record of trespassing on the Evans Hall roof or fire escape before Cooke's death.
 
When one of my son's was in College, a fraternity brother jumped to his death from a rooftop, and it was later determined that it was a suicide. Family members said he was fighting depression.

My son was very surprised, as this young man was well liked and had a lot of friends.
 

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