Ole Miss Student Ally Kostial Found Dead In Apparent Homicide, Police Say

Authorities suspect foul play was involved in the death of 21-year-old student Alexandria "Ally" Kostial, whose body was found Saturday morning near a lake about 20 miles from the University of Mississippi campus.

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department said deputies discovered Kostial's remains while on patrol near Harmontown, MS. It's unclear what lead authorities to believe foul play was involved in Kostial's death. Police have yet to publicly release her cause of death or provide additional details, including whether there are any suspects. "The Sheriff’s Department and Mississippi Bureau of Investigations are following several leads at this time," Maj. Alan Wilburn said, according to local media reports. "We will release more information at the appropriate time."

Kostial was a marketing student at Ole Miss set to graduate next year. She was originally from the St. Louis area. In a Facebook post on Sunday night, her father Keith Kostial confirmed news of her death. "Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, we were visited by the Sunset Hills, MO, police who communicated to us that our beautiful dear Alexandria (Ally) Kostial was the victim of a homicide," he said. He added that his daughter had been taking summer courses and teaching fitness classes at Ole Miss.

In a statement Sunday, University of Mississippi Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks extended his condolences to Kostial's family. "We are truly saddened by the death of Alexandria Kostial. Ally was a valued member of our campus community. We extend our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and classmates and stand ready to support them during this time," he said, according to FOX2 News. "We appreciate the work of the Lafayette County Sherriff's Department and Coroner as they conduct their investigation."