Overview
- The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Thursday that James died of hydrogen sulfide intoxication and determined the manner of death to be suicide.
- James, 20, of Whippany, New Jersey, was found off campus on Oct. 10 after being reported missing the previous evening.
- His mother said a battalion officer notified her on Oct. 9 that he had missed all of his classes, and she shared a final text from him that read, "I love you more."
- A Naval Academy spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the medical examiner’s determination.
- Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas that can be deadly when inhaled, with exposure documented in workplaces and some improvised household mixtures.