The body of Lauren Blackburn, a junior at Princeton University, was found in Lake Carnegie on Friday morning, April 25, 2025, concluding a search that lasted nearly a week for the missing 23-year-old student.
Blackburn, an English major at the well-regarded New Jersey institution, had last been seen near the Firestone Library at approximately 6 p.m. on April 19. The university issued a campus-wide alert reporting him missing on Tuesday, April 22.
“I am deeply saddened to share with you that the body of Lauren Blackburn ’26 was found at Lake Carnegie this morning. Our hearts are heavy and we share our deepest condolences with Lauren’s family and friends,” Dean of Undergraduate Students Regan Crotty wrote in a letter to the school community.
Authorities tracked Blackburn’s phone to the vicinity of the man-made reservoir around midnight on Tuesday, leading officials to initiate a search of the water. His body was located three days later.
Lake Carnegie is located just south of Princeton’s campus in New Jersey, near the university’s athletic facilities, and is about a mile from the library where Blackburn was last observed. The reservoir covers 650 acres and has a uniform depth of about 9 feet at a distance of 35 feet from the shore.
The lake was donated by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and was built at a cost of $450,000 in the early 20th century, which is approximately $9.5 million today, according to university archives.
Princeton’s Department of Safety confirmed the discovery of Blackburn’s body but has not yet disclosed a cause of death. The investigation was carried out by the Department of Public Safety with help from regional law enforcement agencies.
Blackburn previously served as a features writer for the Daily Princetonian, the student newspaper, and was recently honored with the 2024 Sam Hutton Fund for the Arts. This award is presented to one student in the Lewis Center for the Arts each year to support summer study, travel, and independent research.
Prior to Princeton, Blackburn graduated from Corydon Central High School in southern Indiana, where he achieved an outstanding academic record. He gained local attention in 2019 as a high school senior when he was awarded both a National Merit Scholarship and a Gates Scholarship.
Former educators from Blackburn’s high school remembered him for his remarkable academic talents and personal qualities. His English teacher, Kate Robinson, mentioned that Blackburn seemed to have a photographic memory, telling local media he could read a book and recall everything in it. Science teacher Karen York highlighted his kindness, saying she had never heard him speak ill of anyone.
Blackburn’s academic path led him to Princeton, where he was anticipated to graduate in 2026.
The search for Blackburn intensified following his disappearance, with campus security and local police concentrating their efforts on Lake Carnegie after discovering the phone location data.
According to campus publications, Blackburn’s death represents the sixth undergraduate student death at Princeton since 2021. Reports indicate that the prior five student deaths during this time were ruled as suicides, although university officials have not linked these occurrences.
Princeton University has been noted for what some reports describe as a troubling pattern of student deaths in recent years. Some publications state that as many as nine Princeton students have died since 2021, with various causes being documented.
The university has not provided additional details regarding the circumstances of Blackburn’s disappearance or death. Counseling and support services have been offered to students, faculty, and staff as they deal with this loss within the campus community.
Arrangements for Blackburn’s funeral and memorial services have not been announced by the university or his family.
