University of Michigan Student Lucas Mattson Found Dead After Leaving Fraternity Party in Extreme Cold

A University of Michigan student has been found dead more than a day after he was last seen leaving a fraternity party in just a T-shirt and jeans amid bone-chilling winter temperatures, according to police.

Lucas Mattson, 19, an engineering student, was last seen walking without a jacket at approximately 1 a.m. Friday, as temperatures dropped to near 0 degrees Fahrenheit, WILX reported.

His body was discovered Saturday night after a nearly 20-hour search conducted in “extreme cold conditions,” authorities said.

Mattson is among at least 34 people reported dead in Winter Storm Fern, which affected more than two-thirds of the United States.

 

“At this time, we can share that prior to disappearing, Lucas was attending a party at a fraternity house as a guest; he was neither a member nor a pledge,” University of Michigan interim president Domenico Grasso said in a statement. He cautioned the community against spreading “misinformation” about Mattson’s death.

“We must let the investigators complete their work and refrain from speculation until the facts are known,” Grasso added.

Search Efforts and Investigation

Mattson was reported missing at 4:30 p.m. Friday by the Ann Arbor Police Department. Officers conducted an extensive search overnight but were unable to locate him. His body was eventually found Saturday night on Cambridge Road, police said.

“The nearly 20-hour search effort to locate him took place in extreme cold conditions and included officers from AAPD and the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security, as well as the University of Michigan Police Department Drone Unit,” a police press release stated.

Authorities reported no signs of trauma, and foul play is not suspected at this time. The Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s office will perform an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.

Grasso said he has asked university officials to retrace the events of the night Mattson disappeared “to better understand what transpired and identify possible steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.”

“I am grateful for the outpouring of support from so many people worried about Lucas’s welfare, including those who searched for him in extremely difficult weather conditions,” the interim president said.