Death of Stanford goalie Katie Meyer ruled suicide, sheriff’s office says

The death of Stanford University soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer was ruled a suicide, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office announced.

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Meyer, 22, a student who captained the women’s soccer team at Stanford, was found dead in an on-campus residence Tuesday morning, according to university officials.

Meyer is the fourth Stanford student to unexpectedly die in just over a year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“She died by suicide,” Gina Meyer, the player’s mother, told “Today” during a televised interview on Friday. “The last couple days are like a parent’s worst nightmare and you don’t wake up from it. So it’s just horrific.

“I don’t even think it’s hit us yet. We’re still in shock. But we had no red flags.”

“The County of Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner is investigating Kathryn Meyer’s death. There is no indication of foul play, and Meyer’s death was determined to be self-inflicted,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The Medical Examiner-Coroner extends sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Katie Meyer.”

Meyer, who helped Stanford win the NCAA women’s championship in 2019, was a senior majoring in international relations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

>> Katie Meyer, captain of Stanford women’s soccer team, dead at 22

Her parents said they believed a potential disciplinary action from the school may have contributed to her death, according to the newspaper.

“Katie, being Katie, was defending a teammate on campus over an incident and the repercussions of her defending that teammate (were possibly resulting in disciplinary action),” Steven Meyer told “Today.”

“We have not seen that email yet,” Gina Meyer told the program. “She had been getting letters for a couple months. This letter was kind of the final letter that there was going to be a trial or some kind of something. This is the only thing that we can come up with that triggered something.”

Stanford officials did not respond to questions about the disciplinary action Meyer’s parents described Friday, the Chronicle reported.

“Our entire community is devastated by Katie’s death, and we share our deepest condolences with Katie’s family and everyone who knew her at Stanford, across the country and around the world,” university officials told “Today” in a statement. “Katie touched so many lives. We are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters. We as a university community continue to grieve with Katie’s family and cherish our memories of her.”

Meyer’s parents did not respond to requests for additional comment, according to the Chronicle.

Katie Meyer made two key saves in a penalty shootout against North Carolina that helped Stanford win its third NCAA women’s soccer championship in 2019. Meyer’s celebration made national headlines after she blocked a penalty shot in the 5-4 victory.

Meyer was born on Jan. 20, 2000, in Burbank, California, according to The Stanford Daily. She graduated second in her class from the Century Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, in 2018 after playing soccer for Newbury Park High school for three years.

Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support at 1-800-273-8255. Beginning July 16, 2022, U.S. residents can also be connected to the Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.

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