UMich Medical Student's Death Being Investigated As Homicide

Via FlickrThe death of a University of Michigan medical student is being investigated as a homicide, Ann Arbor police said Thursday.

Paul DeWolf, 25, was found dead in his apartment a day earlier. A police investigation began around noon, and university police released a crime alert just before 11 p.m. Wednesday

DeWolf failed to arrive for a scheduled assignment at the Veteran's Affairs Hospital, so it sent a colleague to the home to check on him, police said. That person discovered DeWolf had died.

An autopsy was performed Thursday, but Ann Arbor police have not released a cause of death. Lt. Detective Robert Pfannes said more information would be released on Friday.

DeWolf, a 2010 graduate of Grand Valley State University, was to graduate from the medical school next spring. He is from Schoolcraft.

"The Ann Arbor police department has met with Mr. DeWolf's family members, the university community and is coordinating efforts with them," Pfannes said in a statement.

DeWolf also was an active duty second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, Pfannes said.

On Thursday, friends remembered DeWolf as a driven student who was expected to accomplish great things in the future.

Jen Hemberg, who had known DeWolf since the fall of 2010 when they both began medical school, said he got along with everyone and loved making others laugh.

"Paul was one of those people that knew everybody and knew everything about everybody, because he liked being around people," she told AnnArbor.com.

DeWolf was a cross country and track standout at Schoolcraft High School.

Coach Dave Sanders said DeWolf had a bright future ahead of him.

"I feel a real sense of loss, but not just for me personally," Sanders told MLive.com. "Even more so for the people in his life that would have benefited from him achieving his dream and the contribution he was going to make to society and those around him."