No foul play is suspected in the death of Mississippi State freshman football player Sam Westmoreland, authorities said.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brett Watson said an investigation into Westmoreland’s death remains open but that a criminal case is not expected.
“There is no reason at this point to expect foul play, but until we get everything in, we won’t close our investigation completely,” Watson told The Dispatch.
No information on Westmoreland’s cause of death was available.
Oktibbeha County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call around at Blackjack Missionary Baptist Church around 11 a.m. Wednesday and found Westmoreland dead outside the church.
The Tupelo native, a walk-on in his first year with the team, was 18. Westmoreland attended Tupelo High School and was majoring in industrial technology at MSU.
His 19th birthday would have been Friday.
A public memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday at The Orchard church in Tupelo.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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