An undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University was found dead in their campus residence Saturday, according to an email sent to students by Vanderbilt Student Affairs. Unconfirmed reports from students identified the victim as Nateli Rose Ferguson of Cypress, Texas, who is studying Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track.
Metro Nashville Police Department responded to a call at 11:30 a.m. CDT at Branscomb Quadrangle, located at 2401 Vanderbilt Place. The call was classified as a “corpse/D.O.A.” incident. Students reported seeing multiple MNPD vehicles outside the building, including a detective wearing a homicide unit jacket. Officers were observed heading to Scales Hall, and one student reported seeing a body bag on the third floor, though this claim has not been independently verified.
Crime scene investigation vehicles and forensic medical examiner personnel arrived at the Branscomb courtyard around 3:30 p.m. CDT, followed by medical transport vehicles at 4 p.m. CDT. A stretcher was taken into Scales Hall shortly thereafter, and the body was transported by 4:49 p.m. CDT. All vehicles had left the scene by 5:05 p.m. CDT.
At 9:03 p.m. CDT, Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students G.L. Black informed students via email of the death and extended condolences to the student’s friends and family. Black emphasized the importance of community support during this challenging time and encouraged students to seek professional resources if needed.
The university has not released further details about the incident or the student’s identity as of Sunday morning. Nateli Ferguson, who was identified by other students, moonlighted as a research assistant at Zhou Lab at Vanderbilt, researching halo-proteins and neural synapses. Ferguson graduated from Mount Carmel Academy in 2023.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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