The official cause of death of 20-year-old Jennifer Lee Holman was cardiac arrhythmia, according to medical reports and the official death certificate received by the Holman family.

Holman, a West Virginia University pre-business major from Masontown, W.Va., died unexpectedly the morning of Jan. 13.

She had worked the night before at her waitress job at Garfields and enjoyed friendship and comradery afterwards, celebrating a friends birthday at one local establishment and sleeping over at her friends off-campus apartment, according to her father David Holman. She awoke the next morning, went to the bathroom and got a drink of water, spoke briefly with one friend who was headed to work and went back to bed.

“Shortly after this, her friends heard a noise coming from the bedroom,”Mr. Holman said.”One of the girls went in to find Jennifer not breathing. They attempted CPR and called 9-1-1, but she was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.”

Holman said he was”quite shocked and distraught”when news reports immediately linked Jennifers death to alcohol and drugs because”I know my daughterand that was not her style.”However, he wanted to be sure, so he has waited to speak out when there was concrete evidence.

“Im coming forward today to clear Jennifers name and to set the record straight that she died of natural causes. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor in her death. This could have happened at work or anywhere. Out of human decency for Jennifer, her family and many friends we want this information to be known.”

WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. agreed.

“Its just unfortunate that initial reports linked Jennifers death to alcohol and underage drinking,”Hardesty said.”From the outset, we asked people to please wait for the medical reports and to not jump to conclusions about this young woman. I am sad that Jennifer is no longer with us, but glad that her familyand all of usnow know the truth: Jennifer Holman died of natural causes unrelated to alcohol and illegal drugs.”

A good student, Holman, a junior, was about to be inducted into Delta Sigma Pi academic business fraternity. She was a 1999 graduate of Preston High School.

At a recent campus memorial service, friends noted her outgoing, friendly personality and contagious smile.

“She was a very happy personnever in a bad mood,”said one.

“She was always friendlyalways enthusiastic. I cant remember a time she wasnt smiling,”said another.

“She didnt go out a whole lot. She enjoyed sitting at home and watching movies and doing stuff with friends,”another recalled.

In addition to her father, Holman is survived by her mother, Martha Henry, and two younger sisters, Bridget and Alicia.