Avatar Image
about 4 years ago

Joe Dado Found Dead in West Campus Stairwell

Joseph Dado left Fiji (yellow circle) around 3:00 am Sunday morning. He was found in a stairwell between the Steidle and Hosler buildings (red circle) around 6:00 pm Monday.

Joseph Dado left Fiji (yellow circle) around 3:00 am Sunday morning. He was found in a stairwell between the Steidle and Hosler buildings (red circle) around 6:00 pm Monday.

Joseph Dado, who went missing Sunday morning, was found dead in a stairwell between the Hosler and Steidler buildings this evening around 6:00 pm when a repairman responded to a routine call.

There was no evidence of foul play. It appears that Dado fell approximately 15 feet, suffering critical head trauma. President Spanier told a group of students this evening that alcohol was involved in the incident.

Dado was reported to have left Fiji (Phi Gamma Delta) alone around 3:00 am Sunday morning. The original blog post published by Onward State about the incident is available here.

We will update this post with additional information as it becomes available.

Thanks go to Maxwell Kruger for the slideshow photos and the Bing imagery included in this post.

Update 11:14 pm: The Centre County Report News Team produced this video of tonight’s events.

Update 9/22 12:10 am:


Pictures by Stefan Choquette

Update 9/22 10:51 am: The Centre County Report published another video late last night chronicling the timeline of events from Sunday morning to Monday night.

Update 9/22 3:31 pm: The Collegian just reported that Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers has confirmed that Dado’s death was an accident, but neither Sayers nor the University will confirm that alcohol played a part in the incident. However, the Collegian notes that a student who was with Dado that night said he had been drinking, “but not enough to require medical attention.”

17 Responses to “Joe Dado Found Dead in West Campus Stairwell”

Dj Ryan says:

What an awful situation. I walked into the HUB auditorium tonight and there were still people there, at least an hour after the announcement. People who’d come from Latrobe (Joe’s hometown) to help with the search, PSU students who’d come expecting to help in the effort to find him alive, and just others who felt the need to be there. I hope others take this as a lesson and a reminder of how a fun night out can turn tragic in the blink of an eye. Safety should always be the first priority. I hope his family can find comfort in knowing that the entire Penn State family mourns with them. Rest in peace, Joe. May angels be with you.

Reply
emily w. says:

That’s just awful. He was in my year, although I’m at worthington. I feel upset about this even though I don’t know Joe, at all. I guess that’s what’s good about the pennstate community. We’re all connected, athough we’re probably hundreds of miles away from each other. Rest in peace Joe, and may comfort be granted to your family and those who knew you in this tragic turn of evens.

Reply
Linda Marie Weaver says:

As a parent of a PSU graduate and an aunt of a PSU sophomore, I can only imagine the heartache the family is going through. To watch your child grow up, go off to college and start a life of his/her own, is a wonderful feeling. However, to lose a child is a feeling that a parent never wants to experience. To the students at PSU, PLEASE know that college is fun, but there are limits to the fun. We, your parents understand college life and the independence that comes with it. We also know that you want and deserve to enjoy yourselves as well, but please be careful in having that fun. We love you and want all of you to enjoy college life, but not at the expense of death. It’s not just Joe’s family that lost a son, but the entire PSU community. Let us continue to pray for the family, friends, and the PSU community.
Linda M. Weaver, (Baltimore MD)

Reply

Reply
A Loving Parent says:

COLLEGE STUDENTS EVERYWHERE PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS POST BY Linda Marie Weaver.

Linda in the previouls post already put down what I am feeling as a parent of a sophmmore and senior currenlty at University Park.

COLLEGE STUDENTS EVERYWHERE PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS POST BY Linda Marie Weaver.

Thank you,

A Loving Parent

Reply
student says:

something doesnt add up here…theres got to be more to this than what’s being presented, no way they missed his body only 75 feet from fiji, and why were “repairmen” the ones to find him? not the dogs, helicopter, or police, or OPP? it just doesn’t fit together….

Reply
    parent says:

    the dogs did get his scent near where he was found and that’s why the helicopter was over the alumni bldg most of the day on Monday. They just couldn’t see him down in the stairwell.

    Reply
      A Loving Parent says:

      So I beg to ask, if they “got the scent near where he was found” AND They “just couldn’t see him down in the stairwell”

      Then why:

      Were the searchers close enough to the stairwell to know it was there?

      IF so, why didn’t they walk down the stairwell?

      If I were searching an area looking for somebody and there was an open stairwell, I’d go certainly go down. I’ve been on several searche with a Western PA fire department I volunteer with, we leave no stone unturned.

      Was the stairwell checked and nothing there eariler? Is somebody not admitting it?

      Is there a cover up, or did the seachers really blow it by being close to the stairwell and not going down?

      Somebody knows but we will never know the truth. I’m having such a hard time with this and feeling so horrible for Joe’s family and friends. The kids will drink, they must be more responsible and never leave a friend alone. I’ve been talking with my two kids who are currenlty UP PSU students.

      Respectuflly,

      A Loving Parent of TWO PSU UP Students.

      Reply
A Student says:

I’m feeling like there is more to the story, something probably happened at Fiji And they hid the body where they did to save themselves. This is an unfourtunate event that took place and my thoughts and prayers go out to the familynof Joe.

Reply
PSU Graduate says:

When I went to PSU, drinking was part of the experience. Sometimes, under peer pressure kids would get drunk. No matter what parents say, kids will not stop drinking.

The bottom line here is if you are out and have to drive or walk home then never be alone. When your friends want to leave then you leave with them. If your friend will not leave then you stick close to them. I know this can be an annoyance but it creates a more safer environment. This applies whether you are 18 or 88.

This tragedy is so unfortunate and was so avoidable. Please, please, please, stay together when you are out.

Reply
Brian Slawin says:

What a painful experience this is for so many people connected to Joe and his family.

And as written above, Joe’s family extends to everyone that has ever had, or still has, any connection to Penn State. It’s this kind of hurt and pain that never goes away. Let’s hope that the lessons to come from this can be those that never go away, either.

Last night I spoke with a long time friend as we described how we talked with our children about this. Much like Linda has said above – be careful. Life happens in an instant and so do so many of the choices we make. Good or bad, impactful or passing, life happens in an instant.

For each of the last two mornings, I’ve woken up thinking about Joe’s family – especially his parents – imagining the ache and pain and indescribable sorrow. I wish our words could do something to help them.

God bless you Joe, God bless you Joe’s family and God bless you Penn State.

Reply
PSU Grad says:

The Daily collegian report said he was seen leaving Fiji and heading back towards East halls around 3am. But where his body was found would not have been on his walk back to east.

Reply
freshmen parent says:

From the moment I heard of this death Chills ran through my body. My child is there your child is there. I visited for parents weekend and saw the spot where Joe was found. Looks, smells and sounds like foulplay. It makes me sick the drinking and you cannot except young kids to know what to do when something goes wrong.
freshmen parent

Reply

Leave a Reply