On February 10th, Doreah Salti died after a fall from NYU’s Barney Building in the East Village. The 18-year-old student was found unresponsive due to severe injuries, and she was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where she was pronounced dead. At the time, initial reports by police had deemed the death a suicide, but questions are still haunting her family, who insist Doreah was a happy and well-adjusted teen.
George and Maria Salti, Doreah’s parents, firmly contest the notion that their daughter’s death was intentional. Pointing to her vibrant life filled with plans for the future, they argue against any premise of self-harm, underlining her excitement for her upcoming birthday trip to Miami, a visit to the Vienna Philharmonic, and an artistry summer program in Paris. Weeks after Doreah died, her apartment was still receiving bathing suits and sunglasses orders under her name. The absence of a suicide note, coupled with no known mental health struggles or academic pressures, fuels their skepticism and deepens their grief; they’ve hired an investigator in the hopes of determining the circumstances of Doreah’s fall.
The Saltis have enlisted the services of Cohen & Gresser, a notable international law firm. They seek a thorough investigation, refusing to settle for presumptive conclusions. Medical insights into the nature of Doreah’s injuries, including broken head, hands, and wrists — which her father interprets as signs of a protective reflex rather than a suicidal leap — further complicate the situation.
As the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner continues its investigation, Doreah’s family waits for any bit of information that might help them make sense of her death. Her mother Maria says, “We don’t want to speculate, we want the truth based on facts.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org
