Cranbrook boarding student found dead in dorm

A senior at Cranbrook Kingswood School, living in the Kingswood School dorms, was found unresponsive in their room on Friday, February 19, around 10 p.m., according to Bloomfield Hills Public Safety and Cranbrook School officials, and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards by the Oakland County Medical Examiner.

No official cause of death has been determined, said Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department Det. Lt. Jeff Gormley, noting it will take the county medical examiner at least 30 days to have answers.

According to an email to Cranbrook School parents sent by Director of Schools Aimeclaire Roche on Saturday, February 20, “I write with tragic information that deeply touches all of us. I share this with all Schools parents here. It will be shared with our boarding students later this morning as they awake, and with all upper school day students at noon… Last evening senior Rin Westphal ‘21 was found unresponsive in their Kingswood dormitory room. Rin was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter by the Oakland County medical examiner. We share in the sorrow such a tragedy brings and grieve profoundly with Rin’s family and with all who loved and knew Rin, who came to Cranbrook in the ninth grade.”

It is believed Westphal's family is from Wyandotte, Michigan.

Bloomfield Hills Public Safety said the investigation is ongoing.