Northwestern student's body pulled from harbor

[September 29, 2012]  EVANSTON (AP) -- The body of a Northwestern University student who was last seen leaving a weekend party has been found in a harbor near the school's suburban Chicago campus.

A boater reported finding a body Thursday evening and searchers pulled 18-year-old sophomore Harsha Maddula of New Hyde Park, N.Y., from a harbor in Wilmette, a few hours later. Wilmette is another suburb near the campus.

Northwestern spokesman Alan Cubbage says Maddula was carrying his wallet with a university identification card and his cellphone. Police don't suspect foul play.

"On behalf of Northwestern University, I extend our deepest sympathies to Harsha's family and to his many friends at Northwestern. Our hearts and thoughts are with them," University President Morton Schapiro said in a statement.

Maddula was last seen after midnight Saturday. A relative says he went to the party with several friends and disappeared after he and others left for another party.

Cubbage said police began focusing their search for Maddula at the harbor after a check of activity for his cellphone determined the last signal from it was in that area.

His parents, Prasad Maddula and Dhana Lakshmi Maddula, and other relatives arrived in Evanston on Monday to join the search for the pre-med engineering student, who had been recently diagnosed with diabetes.

Maddula's parents, along with the student's uncle, Sam Maddali, on Wednesday announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the student's whereabouts. They were standing at Wilmette Harbor, where their son's body was found, when they made the announcement.

[Associated Press]

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