Christ Church Death
"Death by natural causes" was the coroner's verdict on the death of Reignolde Mahboubian-Jones, a student at Christ Church who died in Michaelmas Term.
The death came as a shock to Christ Church students but was never thought to be suspicious. At the time, the Mahoubian-Jones family asked that no details be released. The inquest, which ended last week, has not brought to light any evidence pointing towards a definitive cause of death.
Mahoubian-Jones was just twenty years old when he died and, according to friends, "didn't smoke or drink or take drugs."
It is understood that he had been to a concert in London the night before and was woken by his tutorial partner Dale Phipps. After a brief discussion with Mahoubian-Jones, Phipps went to ascertain the time of their tutorial. He claimed to have heard strange noises from within Mahoubian-Jones' room when he passed a few minutes later. He said, "I thought he had gone back to sleep and was having a nightmare."
At 10:15 Phipps and another Christ Church undergraduate, Edward Hall, returned to the room to attempt to wake their friend. On arrival they found Mahoubian-Jones lying in bed without a pulse.
Neither of the pathologists who examined Mahoubian Jones' body were able to ascertain the cause of death, and at the inquest the coroner described him as "a normal fit young man."
6th Jun 2002