American Student Stabbed to Death While Studying in the Netherlands

A 21-year-old American studying abroad in the Netherlands has allegedly been stabbed to death by her suite-mate, authorities said Friday.

Sarah Papenheim, from Andover, Minn., was found with multiple stab wounds on Wednesday in a Rotterdam apartment she had been sharing with an as-yet unnamed 23-year-old. The suite-mate was arrested later the same day at Eindhoven train station, 60 miles southeast of Rotterdam.

The two lived in the same apartment but had their own rooms, sharing a kitchen and bathroom, police said. A possible motive has so far not been found.

According to local media reports, police came to her apartment after neighbors reported hearing a fight. Authorities found Papenheim stabbed and unconscious, in a pool of blood. Attempts by the ambulance services to resuscitate her proved unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Papenheim, a keen musician, had been studying psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, having lived in the Netherlands for two years. The university issued a statement saying it was shocked by her death and was taking care of students and staff.

“Our deepest condolences go out to all Sarah’s family and friends at this poignant time,” the university said.

Papenheim’s mother, Donee Odegard, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper that her daughter had been due back in the United States next week, with a gig booked with a local musician on Dec. 22. In the course of her studies, Papenheim had taken a particular interest in suicide, her mother said, after her brother took his own life several years ago.

“My only two kids, and I’ve lost them both,” Odegard told the newspaper.

As of early Friday, more than $21,000 had been raised on a GoFundMe campaign to help Odegard bring her daughter home and aid with funeral costs.