Police investigating Penn student's death

Police are investigating the death of a 20-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania who was found dead late Sunday in an off-campus rooming house.

Amanda Hu, a sophomore biochemistry major from near Charlotte, N.C., was found unresponsive shortly before 11:30 p.m. in her second-floor bedroom in the 4000 block of Sansom Street, police said Monday.

Though there were signs that her death was a suicide, the case was being investigated by homicide detectives.

There was blood spatter on a wall next to Hu, who had been bleeding from the nose and mouth, police said. Officers found "hair in her hand," police said. Roommates heard yelling and banging from her room, and someone they said was her boyfriend had been banging on her door earlier, police said.

Police said they found an empty bottle of pills that had been prescribed to her this month for depression, as well as what appeared to be two suicide notes. One was addressed to her family and the other to her mental health doctor at Penn, police said.

The Medical Examiner's Office was withholding the release of any information about her death pending the homicide investigation, said spokesman Jeff Moran.

Hu's death came as a shock to Natalia Chadee, 20, who described herself as one of Hu's closest friends.

Just last week, they got together at Carina Tea & Waffles, a popular spot for Penn students.

"She was very happy, very relaxed," said Chadee, a junior who met Hu during their freshman year together.

Chadee, Hu, and another woman took a spring break trip to Montreal during their freshman year.

"She always wanted to have a good time," Chadee said.

She said Hu was "the type of person who would carry a conversation. She could make anyone laugh, anyone smile."

Chadee said she learned of Hu's death from Hu's roommates. Hu lived with at least six other women in the rooming house.

Penn said Hu was on a voluntary leave of absence from the university and was working in a biochemistry lab.

Chadee said she believed Hu decided not to take classes this semester so she could spend more time working at the lab.

The university held a special informational session late Monday afternoon for students and others affected by Hu's death. Counseling services were offered.

Hu was a star student at Providence High School in Charlotte and a member of the National Honor Society. In 2012, the Charlotte Observer named Hu as one of 10 regional high school seniors of the year.

At Penn, she participated in Model Congress, Youth for Debate, and Science Across Ages.

215-854-5983 @RobertMoran215