He had been reported missing after a battalion officer told his mother that he hadn’t shown up for any of his classes early last month.
WASHINGTON — A 20-year-old U.S. Naval Academy midshipman who was found dead on campus in Annapolis had died by suicide, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told WUSA9 Thursday.
The official cause of death had been hydrogen sulfide intoxication, which Stephanie Moore of the examiner’s office described as “the fumes from chemicals mixed together.” Moore added that her office determined that the chemical poisoning had been self-induced.
Kyle Devin Philbert James had been a midshipman second class — the Naval Academy’s equivalent of a college junior. He had been reported missing after a battalion officer told his mother that he hadn’t shown up for any of his classes early last month.
A native of Whippany, N.J., James was nominated for an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 2023 by Mikie Sherrill, a congresswoman who was elected governor of New Jersey earlier this month.
During his time in the Naval Academy, James was a member of the 36th Company, a history major and a member of the USNA Gospel Choir.
“It is painful to lose a member of our Naval Academy family, and as we attempt to better understand this tremendous loss, we offer our deepest condolences to Philbert James’ family, close friends, classmates, and company mates during this extremely difficult time,” a statement released by the USNA read in October.
A funeral for James was held on Nov. 1. A scholarship fund had been set up in his name to support students of color at his high school alma mater.