MIT's oldest and largest

newspaper & the first

newspaper published

on the web

Former Student Dies in Fall from Roof

Former MIT student Chris Millard fell to his death from the roof of Phi Beta Epsilon in an apparent suicide. Millard was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital after the fall Friday night. He was 24 years old.

Millard, who lived at PBE although he did not attend classes, had worked at a Boston Internet startup firm. He recently quit his job in Boston and had planned to move back home to California in a few days, said Dharmesh Mehta ’00, a PBE brother.

Although the MIT Campus Police log described the incident as a suicide, the Campus Police would release no further information. The Cambridge Police Department has not yet concluded its investigation.

“There’s no questioning that in any way [the incident was a suicide],” Mehta said. PBE brothers have stated that Millard was not intoxicated and that no organized event was taking place on Friday night.

Most of the brothers were away for spring break at the time, and there were no witnesses to the fall.

Mehta described Millard as being “really athletic,” and stated that he played nearly every intramural sport for which PBE fielded a team.

However, Mehta also characterized Millard as having “had his share of hard times.” Millard was laid up for a long period by a severe back injury.

Millard eventually recovered fully and resumed playing sports for PBE’s IM teams, “He really toughed it out,” Mehta said.

PBE brothers said that they were not aware that Millard had any emotional problems prior to his death. “He really did what made him happy. Some days he would decide that he wanted to play sports, and he would play sports. Some days he would decide that he wanted to go to class, and he would go to class,” said Mehta.

A Boston Globe report incorrectly described Millard as “a 25-year-old MIT student” and stated, also incorrectly, that he had fallen from the roof of the Burton-Conner dormitory, which is next to PBE’s house.

A memorial service was held for Millard in MIT’s chapel yesterday at 5 p.m. The chapel was filled with PBE brothers and other friends of Millard who came to pay their respects and to share anecdotes about his life.

Millard is survived by his mother, father, and a sister.

