A 19-year-old Penn State student died after falling 11 stories down a trash chute last week, police in Pennsylvania said on Friday.
The circumstances of the Justine Gross's death are still under investigation, but the State College Police Department said the incident "appears to be accidental in nature."
Gross was last seen Nov. 10 and was reported missing the next day, the State College Police Department said in a press release.
The SCPD said Gross is believed to have fallen into the chute around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 10.
Her body was found at a recycling and refuse transfer station in the early hours of Nov. 12 after the trash receptacle had been hauled away.
According to an obituary posted online, Gross was remembered as a “ray of sunshine” with a “sassy and fun personality” who was a varsity cheerleading team captain at Summit High School in New Jersey, where she graduated in 2020.
The teen was enrolled in her second year at Penn State University's College of Liberal Arts, the obituary said.
"She loved music, dancing, learning about fashion and makeup, and lovingly teasing her family members. Justine had a vibrant and infectious personality that helped her connect with others easily. She had a laugh and a smile that could brighten anyone’s day," it said.
"She always brought so much life, warmth, and joy to her family at home."
