A Mississippi State student and resident of TwentyOne Apartments was killed in an apparent altercation Friday evening, according to the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department.Officers found the body of Andreas Galanis, 28, in a vacant bedroom of his apartment at approximately 6 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies discovered Galanis after responding to a missing persons call.
The man charged with his death is roommate and MSU student Bobby Batiste, 28, of Preston.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff Dolph Bryan told WCBI-TV that the incident appeared to have happened during a robbery.
“MSU police investigators are assisting local officials investigating this tragic off-campus event,” MSU President Robert “Doc” Foglesong said in a statement Saturday. “We are very saddened by the loss of a student from the Great Bulldog Nation and extend our sympathies and prayers to family members in their loss.”
Batiste, who is being held in the Oktibbeha County Jail without bond, has been charged with capital murder.
Though no initial cause of death was determined, an autopsy of Galanis should be completed in the coming days.
WLBT-TV reported that officers did find a weapon, but would not elaborate as to what it actually was. Apartment management said no firearm was found in conjunction with the incident.
In a letter to residents released Saturday, TwentyOne management expressed sympathy for the victim and told residents that grief counseling would be made available to students through the university.
Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs, said Sunday that TwentyOne has information on how students can access the grief counseling services provided by Mississippi State.
“The university will stand ready to assist any student that may be impacted by this tragedy,” Kibler said. “We have a student counseling center, and there is someone available at all times for emergency [counseling] purposes.”
Since the incident happened so close to spring break, students haven’t yet begun to utilize the services, Kibler said.
“As students come back, we’ll be ready to assist them,” he said.
No additional suspects are being sought at this time, but if you have information regarding this case, please contact the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s office at 323-2421.
The Reflector will have more on this developing story as information becomes available.