Man Kills Self in Park

Police responding to a call at 6:40 a.m. yesterday found the body of a man hanging from a tree in Kennedy Park, located on the corner of Memorial Drive and John F. Kennedy Street, police said.

The death has been ruled a suicide and is classified as death by hanging, according to Jill Reilly, a spokesperson for the Middlesex District Attorney's office, which is handling the investigation.

As of late last night police officials were still withholding the name and identifying features of the deceased until the family can be notified.

The Law School crew did not go out on the river yesterday morning because one of their rowers called the police and was asked to make a report, said a Quad House tutor who asked not to be identified.

House crew team members cutting through the courtyard in front of the Charles Hotel around 6 a.m. saw the body hanging from the tree. Many said they thought it was a prank and did not realize until later it was not a mannequin.

"We didn't look that closely, and you couldn't tell," the tutor said. "We weren't fully awake, so it didn't register."

The tutor said the man, who was white and had brown hair, was wearing glasses and had a green backpack at his feet

House crew team members cutting through the courtyard in front of the Charles Hotel around 6 a.m. saw the body hanging from the tree. Many said they thought it was a prank and did not realize until later it was not a mannequin.

"We didn't look that closely, and you couldn't tell," the tutor said. "We weren't fully awake, so it didn't register."

The tutor said the man, who was white and had brown hair, was wearing glasses and had a green backpack at his feet