According to CDT articles and an editorial, State College police think Paige Raque’s fall from a fifth-floor window in Calder Commons on Oct. 14 was accidental.

That coverage lacks details about the information police relied on to reach that conclusion about a healthy, athletic, 19-year-old woman. A week after the tragedy, we still don’t know anything about the circumstances immediately before the fall, such as who was in the room at the time, whether Raque or others were intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs, what physical contact, if any, Raque had with other individuals immediately before the fall, why Raque was in or near the window and whether the window was in good repair before the fall.

Why have police not released any of these details to news media? It’s difficult to imagine a sound rationale for their silence.

On the other hand, it’s easy to speculate about whether the dearth of details signifies shoddy police work or, even worse, a cover-up to forestall criminal charges or civil litigation.

If police hope to nip such speculation in the bud, they should opt for immediate full disclosure.

Phil Edmunds

Boalsburg