Leah Kubik, 29, died after falling three storeys off the roof of a building at the St. George campus early on September 10. Kubik was on her first date with a 34-year-old man she met on the internet. The pair were allegedly ghost hunting before Kubik plummeted to her death at a U of T building located at 1 Spadina Crescent.
Kubik, who was originally from Indiana but had resided in Toronto for several years, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when she and her date entered the building through a window and climbed to the roof. The pair, who were not students at the University, tried to cross a gap in the structure. The man cleared the gap, but Kubik was not as fortunate. She tried to cross by stepping on the mesh wire used to prevent bird activity within the building. The wire collapsed, sending Kubik to her death.
Police were called to the scene around 2 a.m. Kubik was immediately transported to St. Michaels Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Later that afternoon, police released a statement confirming that the thrill-seekers had been exploring the buildings gothic architecture when the accident occurred. Police are now calling the accident a death by misadventure.
Kubiks date, whose name has not been released, is not a suspect and is unlikely to face any criminal charges.
This is not the first death in the gothic-style building, which is believed to be haunted and was home to another death in January 2001 when fifty-year-old professor and artist David Buller was found stabbed to death in his office. The case remains unsolved.
The building, constructed in 1875, was the home of Knox College before becoming a military hospital during the First World War. It now contains art studios, several offices and parking services. Although the building has witnessed two horrific deaths, paranormal activity has not been proven to exist within the walls of the structure.
Would anyone like the true story? Just so you know, there was no “ghost hunting” involved in this. The press heard a rumor and ran with it…which seems typical of the press.
You might ask me how I know this. For one thing, I spoke directly with the detectives that were on the scene. Additionally, I spoke with the young man she was with that evening. I also spoke with the investigators at the coroners office and talked directly to the attending physician who reported the actual cause of death.
After having read what was fabricated in the Toronto area news, I felt bad for all the organizations that actually do follow leads on paranormal activities as they had to waste their time with interviews and disclaimers on the whole thing.
If you’d like to see a much more accurate account of what happened, check out: http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20091008/NEWS01/910080318