Manner Of Death Revealed For Stanford Star Goalkeeper Found Dead In Her College Dorm

The manner of death has been determined for a star Stanford University athlete found dead in her dorm room earlier this week.

Kathryn “Katie” Meyer, 22, was found unresponsive Tuesday morning, according to a statement from the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office sent to Oxygen.com. The Palo Alto Fire Department pronounced Meyer dead at 10:45 a.m.

Authorities with the County of Santa Clara say the manner of death was suicide.

“The County of Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner is investigating Kathryn Meyer’s death,” they said. “There is no indication of foul play, and Meyer’s death was determined to be self-inflicted. The County of Santa Clara is not releasing additional information about the case at this time.”

Meyer’s parents also confirmed her suicide during an emotional interview with NBC's "Today" show.

“The last couple days are like a parent’s worst nightmare, and you don’t wake up from it,” Meyer’s mother tearfully said. “So it’s just horrific.”

Gina and Steve Meyer claimed they spoke daughter, who played goalkeeper and was team captain for the Stanford women’s soccer team, just hours before she took her own life.

“She was excited,” said Gina. “She had a lot on her plate. She had a lot going on, but she was happy. She was in great spirits.”

Her parents said Meyer may have faced disciplinary action that may have sparked their daughter to face a mental health crisis.

“Katie, being Katie, was defending a teammate on campus over an incident and the repercussions of her defending that teammate,” said Steve Meyer.

“We have not seen that email yet, and she had been getting letters for a couple of months,” Gina added. “This letter was kind of the final letter that there was going to be in ‘a trial’ or some kind of thing. This is the only thing that we can come up with that triggered something.”

Meyer was a celebrity in the world of college soccer. In 2019, Meyer helped lead the team to victory when they won the College Cup against North Carolina in the NCAA finals. She became known for her sportsmanship on the playing field, with sports bloggers stating “her trash-talking is both good and fun,” according to SB Nation.

According to Today, she was months away from graduating.

“Her friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline she said ‘changed my perspective on the world and the very important challenges that we need to work to overcome,’ to the passion she brought to the Cardinal women’s soccer program and to women’s sports in general,” Stanford said in a statement obtained by ESPN.

“We’re struggling to know what happened,” said Gina Meyer. “And why it happened.”

As shown on her Instagram page, Katie Meyer just announced her new podcast called “Be The Mentality,” with only one live episode that premiered last month. She occasionally advocated for mental health, including linking a partnership between Rowing Blazers and Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression “to bring attention to the importance of mental health in sport.”

“There are no words to express the deep sadness we feel about Katie Meyer’s passing,” Stanford Athletic Director Bernard Muir said in a statement to ESPN. “Katie was an outstanding student-athlete and a beloved, passionate leader here at Stanford. Our entire athletics community is heartbroken, and Katie will be deeply missed.”

Stanford University has provided resources for those affected by Meyer’s passing.