Sarah Devens '96 died Monday afternoon at her home in Essex, Mass., the victim of a gunshot wound to her head. Essex Police Inspector Donald Wolfe said Devens' death was an "apparent suicide," but the Massachusetts state medical examiner has not yet issued an official statement.
Devens was a three-sport varsity athlete who excelled in field hockey, ice hockey and was named an All-American in lacrosse. This year, she was the co-winner of the Class of 1976 Award,which is presented to the outstanding female athlete at the College.
Women's lacrosse coach Amy Patton said Devens will be remembered by friends, professors and coaches as someone "who touched so many people's lives and impacted them in so many ways with her warm smile and upbeat personality."
Yesterday, members of the College community were left wondering what may have led Devens to seemingly take her own life.
Devens, a 21-year-old psychology major, was found Monday at 1:30 p.m. in her homeby a female friend, Wolfe said.
The friend immediately called an ambulance and the police, but Devens was dead before either arrived, Wolfe said. He would not release the friend's name.
Wolfe said Devens was found lying in her bed with a .22-caliber rifle at her side. He said one bullet had been fired into Devens' head, but he could not determine its point of entry.
Devens appeared to have fired the gun herself, Wolfe said.The rifle, which was kept in the house, belonged to her father, Charles.
Wolfe, who is heading the investigation, said he believed the wound was sufficient to kill Devens instantly.
There were no signs of alcohol or other drugs present, he added. He said Devens did not leave a note and he had no initial thoughts on Devens' possible motives.
The medical examiner will release an autopsy today, Wolfe said. If the autopsy confirms the death was a suicide, he said he will begin an investigation into the causes.
Administrators and friends of Devens said they were stunned yesterday, as they tried to search for the reasoning behind her apparent suicide.
"One can only speculate why one would take one's own life," Dean of the College Lee Pelton said. "What is especially perplexing and especially hurtful in a community like Dartmouth is that friends, peers, faculty, administrators and coaches would all like to understand why a student so talented in so many different areas would take her own life."
Devens' friends said yesterday they were upset and confused.
"She is the best person I ever knew," field hockey player Kathleen Hickey '96 said. "I can't imagine my life without her and that's what I have to do."
Hickey said she had "no idea" why Devens may have committed suicide. "She definitely would do anything for anyone in the world," Hickey said. "I wish she would have given one-half of what she gave to everyone else to herself."
Maura Schneider '96, who lived with Devens during their freshman year and played lacrosse with her, said, "I think she will be remembered as an amazing athlete. Her personality was so positive and lovely. She made everyone around her laugh."
Schneider said she did not know why Devens may have committed suicide, but speculated that, "It was just years of bottling things up."
"There were a lot of underlying problems that contributed to it," she said. "I never would have thought it would have gone that far. It was just years of pushing things inside."
A memorial service for Devens will be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. in St. John's Church in Beverly Farms, Mass.
A group of Devens' friends is organizing an "informal gathering of friends, followed by a candlelight procession," according to an electronic-mail message from 1996 Class Dean Kate Burke. The gathering will take place Thursday night.
Devens was a three-year starter on the women's varsity field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse teams.
In an interview with The Dartmouth last summer, Devens said her life was "definitely stressful," and that she sometimes felt she was missing out on some things by playing in three Division I sports.
"It's very intense. It's very structured. There's not much time to hang out," she said. But, "I don't know if I would be happy [if I quit a team] ... It would be sort of hard to quit now. Part of me wishes I could take a break, but I want to be there, to keep playing."
Devens also starred in the three sports at the Saint Paul's School in Concord, N.H., where she graduated in 1992.
Devens is survived by her parents, Charles Devens Jr. of Essex, Mass., and Sally Willard of Ipswich, Mass. and her two brothers.
