Coroner: A gunshot caused Kosta Karageorge’s death, but undetermined if self-inflicted

Liz Young
Tue, 02 Dec 2014 02:02:22 +0000
Campus, National, concussion, coroner, Football, franklin county, kosta karageorge, ohio state, osu

Redshirt-senior defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge
Credit: Courtesy of OSU Athletics

Kosta Karageorge died from a gunshot wound, but the manner in which he died is still undetermined, Franklin County coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz said Monday based on a preliminary autopsy report.

The pathologist is not sure when Karageorge died, but thinks it was possibly Friday, Ortiz said.

Karageorge’s body was found Sunday near East Sixth and Courtland avenues at about 2:30 p.m. in a dumpster. He had been missing since Wednesday at about 2 a.m.

It was unclear how long his body had been there, Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Richard Weiner said in a press conference at the scene Sunday evening.

Karageorge was a redshirt-senior defensive lineman on the Ohio State football team.

Ortiz also said a neuropathologist at OSU will be investigating Karageorge’s brain.

“Some cases we do send to a neuropathologist at OSU so it’s not exactly something novel but in this case we had a meeting and it’s been decided to send it to the neuropathologist,” she said. She added that that decision had to do with Karageorge having played sports and his mother having cited his history of concussions.

Even then, though, Ortiz said the neuropathologist might not be able to determine whether Karageorge had sustained a traumatic brain injury.

The gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted, Weiner said Sunday. A handgun — later confirmed to belong to Karageorge — was found in the dumpster with Karageorge’s body, Weiner said. He said the investigation into Karageorge’s death was ongoing.

Police are not releasing information about the gun’s make, the model or when Karageorge purchased it, Weiner said Monday.

Karageorge’s sister told The Columbus Dispatch on Thursday that he was last seen at his apartment on East 7th Avenue before he left to take a walk.

He joined the football team in August as a walk-on, and was a member of the OSU wrestling team since 2011.

Shortly before he went missing, Karageorge had reportedly sent a text message to his mother: “Sorry if I am an embarrassment, but these concussions have my head all (expletive) up.”

His sister told The New York Times he had suffered a concussion in September and had sustained at least four or five over time.

OSU spokesman Chris Davey emailed a statement on behalf of the university Monday evening. The statement said the university is “heartbroken” over Karageorge’s death and OSU has reached out Karageorge’s family to offer support.

“The Karageorge family is in our hearts and prayers,” the statement read.

OSU offers suicide prevention resources. The Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Services can be reached at 614-292-5766. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 or online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Amanda Etchison contributed to this story.