New Lenox Student Found Dead in Dorm at UIC

A 22-year-old New Lenox resident was found dead in his dorm room on the University of Illinois-Chicago campus Sunday night.

Patrick Juris was pronounced dead on the scene after Chicago Police responded to Thomas Beckham residence hall at about 9 p.m. Sunday, said investigator Tony Brucci of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

According to an autopsy conducted Monday, Juris died of peritonitis, which is often caused by a rupture in the abdominal wall.

Juris was a senior studying sociology in the university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. According to the UIC website, he worked as a consultant at the school's Disability Resource Center. He wrote that the job involved planning disability culture events, making partnerships with organizations within and outside the University, and mentoring students in transitioning to college life and independent living.

He had a birth defect called spina bifida, which can cause problems in the spinal chord and back bones. Earlier this year he was awarded a scholarship from the Spina Bifida Association of Illinois.

According to the association's wbesite, Juris planned to continue his education to become an occupational therapist. At UIC, he served as vice president of the Sociology Club and was working on a research project involving Chicago area farmers markets.

If you knew Juris and would like to share any memories about his life, please call editor Michael Sewall at 708-203-4925.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Juris' age. Police originally identified him as 21.