A former Minnesota State University student was found dead at a friend’s apartment Tuesday morning after a heavy night of drinking to celebrate her 21st birthday.
An official cause of death hasn’t been determined, but police believe that alcohol played a “significant role” in the death of Amanda Jax, a pre-nursing student at MSU from the fall of 2005 through this summer.
Police say Jax became intoxicated Monday night and into the morning, and was taken to a friend’s apartment.
When they woke up, her friends found Jax unresponsive and called 911. She was dead when police arrived.
She was described by friends, a boss and a former teacher as a popular and outgoing person.
“We enjoyed having her in the building,” said Scott Gengler, president of Watertown Mayer High School, which the Mayer native attended for two years. Her junior and senior high school years were spent at college.
Some students can get lost in the crowd, but Gengler said Jax couldn’t be one of them, saying she stood out as being well liked by her teachers and fellow students.
“She’ll be missed.”
Jax worked for about a year as a waitress at the Great Wall restaurant near campus.
Her boss, Loc Lieu, called her a happy, friendly and outgoing person.
“She is a really nice person,” he said.
Lieu said Jax stopped by the restaurant recently, excited about celebrating her birthday.
Friends said goodbye Tuesday on Facebook, a social networking site.
“You will be deeply missed, and always an extremely loved person,” one wrote. “Will definitely miss all the hugs I got every time I got to see you!”
The medical examiner will be conducting an autopsy to determine Jax’s cause of death and police are continuing to investigate.
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