An American student who was studying abroad in The Netherlands was stabbed to death in her apartment on Wednesday, December 12.
Sarah Papenheim, a 21-year-old psychology student from Minneapolis, was found in her bedroom where police tried and unsuccessfully attempted to revive her. The suspect is believed to be Papenheim’s roommate. She was later arrested according to Erasmus University Rotterdam, where Papenheim was studying at.
According to a police statement that CNN obtained, police received reports that there was a fight at an apartment on Kralingse Kerklaan. When police entered the apartment they found Papenheim with stab wounds and that died of her injuries.
The authorities investigating and arrested Papenheim’s 23-year-old roommate at the Eindhoven train station. Her roommate fled the city after her death, the Eindhoven train station is 60 miles southeast of Rotterdam. Her roommate’s name has yet to be released. The two lived in a two bedroom apartment with a shared living room, kitchen and bathroom.
“Sarah studied psychology and lived in the Netherlands since 2016. Our deepest condolences go out to all Sarah’s family and friends at this poignant time. The university is shocked by this terrible incident and is taking care of upset students and employees,” the university stated.
The School of Social and Behavourial Sciences, where Papenheim studied, has organized a gathering for staff and students to honor Papenheim.
Papenheim was studying psychology with a focus on suicide because her brother died of suicide a few years ago.
Papenheim was a talented drummer as well as a student. She started playing drums at 15 and was quickly given the nickname Thumper for how hard she hit the drums.
She was supposed to return home for the holidays next week.
“The thing that is going through my head is that she was coming home for Christmas, as we were all so excited to see her and to hear that she was coming back that way, and that was just tragic,” her friend George Moye told WCCO.
Her family is currently raising funds to bring Papenheim’s body back to America.