Cause of student death revealed

One of the students who died from a house fire over the weekend was killed because of anoxic encephalopathy, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain, said Monroe County Coroner David Toumey in a press release Monday. \nToumey said that sophomore Nicolas Habicht's accidental death was attributed to the house fire that occurred Saturday morning at 719 N. Indiana Ave.\nJuniors Jacob Surface and Joseph Alexander, both 21, died Saturday. \nToumey said preliminary information suggested Surface and Alexander died from carbon monoxide poisoning, but the final cause of death has not yet been released.\nHabicht, 20, was flown by Lifeline to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and died Sunday afternoon following continued critical condition status.\nJunior Paul Dayment, 21, survived the fire.\nHe was discharged Tuesday from Methodist Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman.\nInformation pertaining to the status of the investigation as a whole was released in a Bloomington Fire Department report by Chief Jeff Barlow late Tuesday night.\nThe report ruled the fire as "most likely accidental." The fire began on the first floor living room near the main entrance to the house. \nThe cause is still under examination, but investigators are focused on "a group of numerous audio/video components" in the first-floor living room. The audio/video equipment is being investigated. \nA similar statement was given to the Indiana Daily Student Monday by Pam Bright, spokeswoman for the State Fire Marshal's office.\nThe report determined the 911 call came from inside the house from Habicht's cell phone. Investigators were able to conclude that the fire alarms were functional and operating because they were sounding in the background during the call.\nWho placed the call, however, is still unclear.\nAccording to the report, firefighters found Habicht and Alexander on the second floor. Surface was found on the first floor in the living room. Dayment was also on the first floor, but was in his bedroom with the door closed.\nDayment's father, Richard, told The Indianapolis Star that his son tried to get out the front door but couldn't find it. He went back to his room to go out of a window, but passed out.\nThe house was part of about 20 such residential rental properties in Bloomington owned by Stasny & Horn, an Indiana General Partnership. \nInformation from the Bloomington Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development office showed the house had a permit in compliance with Bloomington property maintenance code. It was last inspected in March 2001. The permit was to expire in May 2006.\nNo violations were noted in the 2001 inspection. \nThe investigation, headed by the BFD, has been conducted in conjunction with the State Fire Marshal's office and a contracted fire investigation specialist. Shand Forensic Investigators, Inc., was also on the scene Tuesday.\nThe investigation has been ongoing since Saturday morning immediately following the evacuation of the house and the extinguishing of the fire. Barlow said the investigation is moving slowly because the department has had to delay for the "right people" to arrive on the scene. \nAlexander's funeral was Wednesday, with Habicht's and Surface's planned for today.\n-- Contact opinion editor Tony Sams at ajsams@indiana.edu.