Missing University of New Hampshire student from Massachusetts found dead by K-9 team, police say

By Web Staff

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    DURHAM, New Hampshire (WCVB) — A missing University of New Hampshire student and Massachusetts native was found dead on Sunday, about 24 hours after he was last seen, according to authorities.

The Durham Police Department reported that the body of 22-year-old Vincenzo “Vinny” Lirosi, of Whitman, was located in a marshy area off of Coe Drive at about 1:20 p.m. by a New England Search and Rescue K-9 team.

Durham police said Lirosi was drinking with friends before he went missing Saturday. He was last seen between about 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., and he was reported missing at 3 a.m. Saturday.

Lirosi was believed to have taken a path through a wooded area near Woodman Road as a shortcut to his residence.

“Though this is not the outcome we had all hoped for, we are grateful that we were able to find Vincenzo and bring some closure to his family,” Durham police Chief Rene Kelley said in a statement.

Jordan Blanchard, Lirosi’s friend and former roommate, told WCVB’s sister station WMUR that he was with Lirosi for part of the night. They separated when Lirosi left the bar they were at for a fraternity party, where he allegedly got into a fight.

“It’s pretty uncharacteristic of him,” Blanchard said. “This is his first fight ever.”

Blanchard said after the fight broke up, “they kicked him out and told him to go home. That’s when he went into the woods.”

Partygoers told Blanchard that Lirosi was last seen heading down a wooden path that students frequently use as a shortcut around campus.

“We started to think how he would think, and we started walking through the woods on different trails,” Blanchard said. “We walked all the way to Jackson’s Landing to see if he was over there, and we could not find anything.”

Durham police responded, using a K-9 and thermal drone to search the wooded area. State police and Fish and Game were called in later Saturday morning, using a helicopter to search for Lirosi.

Lirosi’s wallet was found in a parking lot and his cellphone was found at the fraternity house.

In addition to New England K-9 Search and Rescue, the following agencies assisted the Durham Police Department in its search for Lirosi: New Hampshire State Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game, University of New Hampshire Police Department, Strafford County Sheriff’s Department and New Hampshire State Liquor Enforcement’s Law Enforcement Division.

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