Missing NY student found dead in campus pond

(AP) - Searchers recovered a body Wednesday believed to be that of a 19-year-old Minnesota student missing since Sunday from his upstate New York college.

New York State Police divers found the body about 9:30 a.m. in a small pond on the Ithaca College campus. Troopers tentatively identified the victim as William Jacobson, a freshman from St. Paul, Minn.

Jacobson was last seen around 3:30 a.m. Sunday walking back to campus after a party at a house in town. Friends reported him missing Monday when he did not show up for classes.

"These have been difficult days for the family, the students, and all of the Ithaca College community. We all grieve the loss of this bright young man - an incredibly talented student with many close friends and so much potential," Ithaca College President Peggy Williams said in a press release.

Williams said the college would hold a vigil Wednesday night in Jacobson's memory at Muller Chapel on the college campus.

Counselors and chaplains will continue to be available to meet and speak with students and other members of the campus community having difficulty dealing with this loss, she said.

Ithaca police said they were continuing their investigation.

On Tuesday, dozens of Ithaca College classmates joined authorities in an extensive search for Jacobson, who was described as an excellent student who maintained regular contact with his family and friends.

Jacobson's friends handed out missing person fliers to passers-by, spoke with them and answered their questions. They also posted the flier information on Facebook, a social networking Web site.

Sonya Klinger, a friend from Montgomery, N.J., said Jacobson would not wander off.

"I'm basically in shock," she said. "He's very intellectual and smart. He would not do this on purpose. It's not within him."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)