Spring Break
The Daily OrangeDrummer, SU grad found dead in bay
By Melissa Daniels
Posted: 8/27/07, 1:30 AM EST Section: News
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Pike's body was discovered Sunday, June 3 at 3:53 p.m. by the New Bedford Police Department following an extensive police search in Wilbur's Point in Fairhaven, Mass., said Fairhaven Police Department Chief Gary F. Souza. His body was about 250 feet from the shoreline and submerged in seven feet of water.
"We're not reaching any conjunctions at this point why he was in the water," Souza said a day after Pike's body had been found.
Paula Pike, John's mother, said Thursday the investigation is still ongoing and is now being handled by Massachusetts State Police.
He was last seen leaving a house party at about 3 a.m. early Saturday morning in Fairhaven, Mass. after playing a show in Providence, R.I. His Blackberry cell phone was found on a beach on Sconticut Neck peninsula about 200 yards from the house party.
Souza declined to say whether Pike consumed alcohol the night he went missing. But he did confirm that people were drinking at the party. Souza also said that a number of people saw Pike leave.
"In my understanding, they didn't believe he was leaving for a great amount of time, that he was just stepping outside," he said. "Our information from the family, which appears to be pretty solid, is that he was not at all fond of the water and not a particularly strong swimmer."
Fairhaven police began searching for Pike when he was reported missing Saturday afternoon, and they continued the search until about 8 p.m. Souza said.
"We decided to treat it as a missing person right off the bat," he said.
On Sunday, police started in the early morning with an extensive search of the area, Souza said. About 20 police departments were involved in the search for Pike, who was from Hamilton, Mass. and may have not been familiar with the area.
Souza said police found Pike's body fully clothed, with his wallet in his pocket.
"A police boat was able to site him from the surface at low tide in approximately seven feet of water based upon the fact he was wearing a yellow T-shirt," Souza said.
Souza said no weapons were recovered on the beach or in the water.
An autopsy conducted June 4 by Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office revealed "no determination," said Charles McDonald, spokesman for the Executive Office of Public Safety. The cause of death is still pending.
Later that evening, Ra Ra Riot manager Josh Roth released a statement to The Daily Orange, which said the band was "in a state of shock."
Ra Ra Riot later announced on its MySpace Web site that it would continue as a band. The band toured during the summer with Toyko Police Club and will open for Editors in both the United States and Europe in the fall.
Feature editor Andy McCullough contributed to this story.
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