Coroner Rules Wilberforce Student’s Death Undetermined, Citing Cardiac Event and Alcohol Intoxication

Dayton, OH, September 28, 2026 —

Greene County Coroner’s office has concluded the death of Savanna Jones, an 18-year-old student at Wilberforce University, was due to acute ventricular dysrhythmia and acute alcohol intoxication. The manner of death has been listed as undetermined.

The coroner’s ruling comes after her family alleged that Jones died as a result of an alcohol hazing ritual that took place on campus. Specific details regarding the alleged hazing ritual were not provided in the summary. The timeline of events leading to Jones’s death and the exact date of the ruling were not immediately available.

Savanna Jones was identified as a student at Wilberforce University. Further information regarding the circumstances surrounding her death, including the specific findings of the coroner’s investigation beyond the stated cause and manner of death, was not detailed. The university’s response to the coroner’s findings or the family’s allegations was not mentioned.

The Greene County Coroner’s office has stated the cause of death as acute ventricular dysrhythmia, a condition involving irregular heart rhythms, and acute alcohol intoxication. The determination of the manner of death as undetermined means the coroner could not definitively classify it as accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or natural.

The family’s claim of a hazing ritual introduces a potential avenue of investigation separate from the medical cause of death. No further details were provided regarding any actions taken by university officials or law enforcement in response to the family’s allegations or the coroner’s findings. Information regarding any potential investigation into the alleged hazing itself is also not available.

Story summarized from the original created by Brooke Jones, WHIO.com on www.whio.com, see more information here.

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