News of 18-year-old Karlie Hall’s death has quickly spread through the small town of Unionville, Chester County. “Everybody around Unionville is pretty upset about it,” said Tori Adams, who knew Karlie and her family.
Karlie was from Chadds Ford, Delaware County, and attended school in nearby Unionville.
Adams said Hall always had a smile on her face. "She would walk around smiling, happy, laughing with her sister and always had a group of friends. I never heard anybody speak anything ill about her. She was really sweet," said Adams.
Hall was in the Rugby Club, along with other organizations. "She was also in the gay-straight alliance club that we have at Unionville. She just wanted everybody to be happy and feel welcomed," said Adams, who says she was shocked by the news of her death. "It is so hard to believe," said Adams.
She remembers earlier years with Karlie. "I remember coloring together, waiting for our parents to pick us up," said Adams.
Karlie was raised by a single mother and had two sisters. She was inseparable from her twin sister Kristin. They even went to Millersville together. "I cannot begin to imagine the grief and anguish Karlie's family is facing. We are especially thinking of Kristin (Karlie's sister) who is also a Millersville student," said Michelle Perez, vice president of student affairs.
Friends in Karlie's dorm, Bard Hall, are pretty shaken up. "It's like you want them to walk through the door and they are not going to be there anymore," said Molly Geatano. "On her door there are flowers. We went to the store and got flowers and cards and there is pictures of everyone with her on her door."
Reported earlier
Karlie Hall, 18, was found dead inside her dorm room at Bard Hall shortly after 5:00 a.m. Sunday. Police say when they arrived to her room, the freshman was unresponsive. Her boyfriend, 19-year-old Gregorio Orrostieta, was attempting to perform CPR on her at the time. At a press conference Monday afternoon, Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman said he believes Orrostieta was faking it. An autopsy showed that Hall had been dead since 2:00 a.m.
According to court documents released Monday, Orrostieta said the couple got into a fight at a party earlier that night and Hall slapped him. He says they got into another fight when they got back to Hall’s dorm room. That’s when Orrostieta told police he shoved Hall and she fell to the ground, hitting her head on a chair. He also said he back-handed Hall in the face and she became unresponsive.
Stedman, however, says Orrostieta’s story does not match the autopsy results. “There had been no mention of any type of strangulation and the injuries that she suffered were far greater and more severe than a back hand slap and one push,” the District Attorney said.
Police say Orrostieta had blood smeared on his face, hands and clothing. He also had a cut on his forehead and scratch marks on his chest.
Orrostieta, who is not a student at Millersville University, is now facing several charges, including criminal homicide. The couple had been together for 11 months.
