Otto Warmbier Cause of Death: A Timeline of What Happened to the US Student
University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier died on Monday, within a week of arriving in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had been detained in North Korea for more than 17 months.
Arrest and Trial
In late December 2015, Warmbier arrived in North Korea and took part in a five-day tour. In early January 2016, on the last day of his tour, he was arrested on the grounds of committing "hostile acts against the state." In March 2016, Warmbier was put on a show trial and made to read a statement prepared for him. He was sentenced to 15 years of prison with hard labor.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Warmbier's Health
Following his trial, Warmbier became comatose. The North Korean government claimed that the American student had contracted botulism and was given a sleeping pill prior to his falling into a coma. However, experts reject this reasoning.
Release and Return
Earlier this year, President Trump was made aware by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about the American citizens detained in North Korea, which included Warmbier. Trump reportedly directed Tillerson to act as needed in order to bring the Americans home.
After spending 17 months in North Korea, Warmbier was released. He arrived at Cincinnati's Lunken Airport on Tuesday, June 13, and was met by his parents. Warmbier, still in a coma at this point, was rushed to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Fred Warmbier, Otto's father, thanked the Trump administration for his son's release.
"A lot of bad things happened, but at least we got him home to be with his parents," President Trump said in a statement released by the White House (via Associated Press).
Death
On Monday, June 19, it was announced that Warmbier had passed away.
"Unfortunately, the awful, torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today," the Warmbier family said in a statement.
His parents wished that no autopsy be performed and an "external examination" by the coroner's office was inconclusive, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
His open funeral service will be held at Wyoming High School at 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, June 22.
