Officials were unable to determine the cause of death of a missing Auburn student who was found dead in November.
Results from a postmortem exam of Chih Kai Lai, a 22-year-old Auburn student from Taiwan, indicate there was no anatomic cause of death and poisoning was not a factor, police said. Officials also said that there was no indication of trauma and foul play is not suspected.
Both the cause of death and manner of death are considered undetermined, police said.
Lai was reported missing on Aug. 18, 2019, and was found dead on Nov. 10 in a shed behind a residence in the 500 block of Southview Drive in Auburn. It is unknown how long Lai was deceased in the shed, but officials say he “had apparently been there for some time.”
The case remains open as the Auburn Police Division and Lee County Coroner’s Office search for more information related to Lai’s actions and whereabouts while he was missing.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
