New York Suicide

Reports this week in The New York Daily News and The Boston Herald that a New York City suicide victim was a Harvard student were apparently incorrect.

Both newspapers reported that Edward Cattan, who jumped to his death Saturday from the 27th floor of the Sherry Netherlands Hotel was a Harvard student.

But Cattan is not registered in the College any of Harvard's 10 graduate schools, or the Extension School. University registrars said this week. In addition, officials at the office of alumni affairs said yesterday Cattan was never enrolled at Harvard.

Detective Kenneth Lent of New York City's 19th Precinct, who is handling the case, said yesterday that family members told him Cattan had been enrolled at the University of Hartford Lent added he did not know why the newspapers thought Cattan was from Harvard.

"I have no idea how they got their information," he said, adding that neither he nor the members of Cattan's family had spoken to the reporters. The reporters who covered the incident were not available for comment yesterday.