Officials: Asthma caused St. Thomas student's death

The Ramsey County medical examiner's office says a University of St. Thomas student found dead in her dorm room last month died of respiratory distress.

An autopsy found that 19-year-old sophomore Katie Mullen of Andover, Minnesota, had asthma.

A roommate found Mullen unresponsive in her bed in Morrison Hall the morning of Oct. 19.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the medical examiner's office concluded that Mullen died of natural causes. The chief investigator for the medical examiner's office says the office did not receive a report of Mullen having a history of asthma.