Northside High graduate found dead in University of West Georgia dorm

A former Northside High School student died last weekend at the University of West Georgia from complications with diabetes.

Marquis House, 19, was found unresponsive in his dorm room Sunday evening, Carroll County coroner Keith Hancock told the Ledger-Enquirer in a phone interview Thursday. House’s roommate discovered the scene when he arrived back on campus after being gone for the weekend and called 911, Hancock said. The coroner pronounced House dead in the dorm at 6:45 p.m.

Hancock sent House’s body to the medical examiner’s lab at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The autopsy showed it was a natural death, caused by diabetic ketoacidosis, Hancock said. That means House, who had type 1 diabetes and self-administered his medicine, didn’t have enough insulin in his body, Hancock said.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma or even death, according to the American Diabetes Association. Based on the condition of House’s body, Hancock estimated he died early Sunday morning. “His mom had talked to him Saturday night,” the coroner said.

House graduated from Northside in 2015, said Muscogee County School District communications director Valerie Fuller.

“We offer our condolences to the House family and friends,” she said in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer.

House was a computer science major, said West Georgia communications director Gary Leftwich.

“This has been a tough time for students, faculty and staff,” he said in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer. “Even though we have 13,300 students enrolled at UWG, we take steps to get to know them. Those who worked with Marquis describe him as an engaged student who really enjoyed life. His work with diabetic children shows his commitment to helping others with the condition and his willingness to share his experiences.”

According to a post on his Facebook page, the funeral arrangements for House are: viewing Feb. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m., and funeral Feb. 24 at noon, both at Progressive Funeral Home, 4235 St. Marys Road, in Columbus.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Northside High graduate found dead in University of West Georgia dorm."