Kexin Cai, a 26-year-old graduate student at Dartmouth College, was found dead in the Connecticut River on May 20, 2024, after a five-day search. Cai had been missing since May 15, when she was last seen riding her e-bike in West Lebanon, New Hampshire.
The search for Cai began after she was reported missing on May 17. According to Lebanon Police Chief Phil Roberts, staff at Dick’s House, Dartmouth’s on-campus health facility, worried about their inability to reach Cai, contacted Lebanon police at 6 p.m. Friday to request a wellness check at her apartment in Sachem Village, West Lebanon.
When Cai was not found at her apartment in the college-owned housing complex, the search expanded over the weekend.
Surveillance footage from two local businesses showed her leaving on her e-bike around 6 p.m. on May 15, heading south on NH Route 10 towards West Lebanon. The search concentrated in the Boston Lot Conservation Area after a motorist spotted her e-bike.
On Monday afternoon, a fisherman in Windsor, Vermont, roughly 14 miles south of West Lebanon, alerted police to a sighting along the Connecticut River. Emergency services retrieved a body from the river at around 5:30 p.m., later identified as Cai. Police stated that their preliminary investigation found no evidence of foul play.
Originally from China, Cai was a second-year doctoral student in Dartmouth’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, focusing on communication challenges in autism. “Kexin was an exceptionally gifted and humble researcher,” said Jon Kull, Dean of the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. “She was so fond of cats that she included their pictures in all her posters and presentations.”
Cai’s partner, Kristian Droste, revealed that Cai had been experiencing a mental health crisis and had admitted herself to Dick’s House on May 13. She was later transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and discharged on May 15, the day she disappeared. “Kexin had an uninhibited laugh and often sang in another language,” Droste said. “She was incredibly loyal to her family and loved ones.”
The search for Cai involved local law enforcement, Dartmouth Safety and Security, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and numerous volunteers. The extensive search efforts used foot patrols, boats, drones, and helicopters. Despite these efforts, the strong current of the Connecticut River likely carried Cai’s body downstream from her last known location.
Cai’s advisor described her as having a genuinely sweet personality and a deep love for the Upper Valley, where she enjoyed hiking, skiing, and road trips. “We had held out hope that the outcome would be different,” Kull said. “The Dartmouth community will deeply feel her loss.”
A remembrance gathering will be scheduled later to honor Cai’s memory. Dartmouth College is providing resources for students and staff affected by her death, offering support through the campus counseling center.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Cai’s death, and the New Hampshire State Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause.