CINCINNATI, OH – Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia college student who returned to the United States last week after nearly a year and a half of captivity in North Korea, died Monday afternoon, June 19 his family said in a statement.
In a news conference last Thursday, doctors called his condition “unresponsive wakefulness,” and revealed he had suffered significant brain damage during his imprisonment.
“It is with great sadness that we learned of Otto’s passing this afternoon,” UVA President Teresa A. Sullivan stated June 19. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family and friends during what has been an incredibly difficult time. He will be missed by all those who knew and loved him.”
On May 21, the day he would have graduated, student leaders organized a tribute in his honor and distributed “Free Otto” stickers at final exercises.
In a statement Monday afternoon announcing their son’s death, Fred and Cindy Warmbier said they and their son were at peace.
Otto Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting with a tour group in North Korea and was convicted of subversion.
In a White House statement, President Trump said, “A lot of bad things happened, but at least we got him home to be with his parents.” Trump called North Korea a “brutal regime.”