Student’S Death Thought Accidental

Fri., Oct. 27, 2000

From Staff

The Whitman County coroner doesn’t believe suicide or foul play caused the death of a 24-year-old Washington State University student whose body was discovered Wednesday in his Pullman apartment about a mile from campus.

A roommate found the body of Scott R. McDermid in the apartment on the 400 block of Southeast Jordan Road at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. The junior from Olympia was studying print journalism in the School of Communications.

Pullman police found pill bottles containing psychiatric and analgesic medications. Coroner Pete Martin is considering those and other factors in his investigation.

“At this point we’re ruling things out,” Martin said. “But I suspect accidental death.”

Martin is waiting for blood toxicology results. He hopes to report his findings Monday.

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