A Bowdoin College student whose body was discovered in Topsham on Sunday died by suicide, Topsham police say.
The body of Qingyang Zhan, 20, was found at a parking lot near the Frank J. Wood Bridge, near the Androscoggin River separating Brunswick and Topsham.
“All investigative facts and circumstances have led this agency to conclude that Qingyang took her own life,” Police Chief Marc Hagan wrote in a statement Wednesday.
Assuming no new facts emerge over the next few weeks from the state medical examiner’s office, Hagan said, “this investigation is considered closed.”
Zhan’s body was found just after 7 a.m. Sunday in a parking lot near the replacement project for the Frank J. Wood Bridge. Police did not disclose any details about how Zhan died.
In a statement issued Sunday, Bowdoin College President Safa Zaki said Zhan, known as “K” to her friends, was a Chinese native who transferred to the school in 2021 from California.
Zhan founded the college's Chinese Students Association and also belonged to the Asian Student Association. She also played guitar and piano for the Bowdoin Concert Band.
"Like so many of you, I am heartbroken and shocked," Bowdoin College President Safa Zaki wrote. "There really are no adequate words to convey how devastating this loss is for our community."
She was double majoring in government and legal studies and Asian studies.
"K’s death is a devastating tragedy for her parents, her brother, other loved ones, and also for her friends, classmates, and our entire Bowdoin community," Zake stated, adding that news of her death was "difficult to process."
The college will be planning a memorial service, but has not announced a date.
If you or someone you know are struggling with thoughts of suicide, contact:
- Maine’s 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 1-888-568-1112
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org