A college student who was found dead in the backyard of a New Jersey home was apparently beaten to death, officials said.
William McCaw, a 22-year-old Kean University student, was found Saturday morning in the backyard of a New Brunswick home, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe he was killed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday, after he attended a fraternity party.
McCaw had no connection to the people who lived in the home, and it is not clear where he was attacked, authorities said. McCaw, originally from Gallatin, Tenn., previously attended Rutgers University and would return to New Brunswick occasionally to visit friends.
His friends said they don't understand why anyone would want to harm him.
"He was a good guy, always smiling, always says 'hi,' goes out of his way for everyone," said Stephen Costas.
A post on Rutgers' Pi Kappa Phi chapter's Facebook page mourned his death, saying "Billy will be remembered as a genuine friend, and a selfless individual who always gave the impression that he cared." McCaw was a member of the fraternity before transferring to Kean to play soccer.
While McCaw's official cause of death has not been disclosed, prosecutors say he suffered blunt force trauma.
No arrests have been made. Late Sunday, search dogs led police to a location down the street from where his body was found, but it's unclear if officers found anything there.
Many Rutgers students live near where McCaw was found dead and some said they were unsettled by the news.
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"It's the only thing we can really talk about, it's scary, knowing we can live so close to something like this happening," said Rommel Espina.
"We can see the house, and it's terrifying. We don't know anything about it," said Mitch Lacsamana, who lives in a home nearby. "It could have been any of us in this house, any of our guests or friends that could be in the backyard."
