Student found dead at the Hub identified, no signs of forced entry, trauma found

Columbia police officials said there appears to be no signs of trauma or forced entry after the discovery of the body of a University of South Carolina student in a private student apartment complex Thursday afternoon.

Officials said the body of a 19-year-old female USC student, Rachel R. Bandman, of Glen Allen, Va., was found about 4:30 p.m. by her roommate at the Hub on Main Street.

Emergency medical officials were called but did not find the student alive, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said.

An autopsy Friday morning found no signs of trauma, the coroner said. The final cause of death will be determined when toxicology studies are complete, he said.

Columbia police originally termed the student’s death “suspicious” but said Friday that any unattended death is deemed suspicious until a toxicology report or other factors prove otherwise.

USC’s student directory lists Bandman as a public relations major. According to her Facebook page, she graduated from Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, a suburb of Richmond, Va., in 2014.

The Hub houses nearly 850 USC students and young professionals in a 21-story tower at Main and Washington streets. The building was converted from office space to luxury apartments in a $40 million major renovation.

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Student found dead at the Hub identified, no signs of forced entry, trauma found."