NYU Professor Jumps To Death From Greenwich Village Apartment

NYU professor Sam Roweis jumped to his death from his Greenwich Village apartment Tuesday, and friends and colleagues still cannot understand what could have driven him to such a point of desperation.

The highly-regarded computer science professor leaped from the 16th floor of his building after fighting with his wife over the care of their 15-month-old twins who were born prematurely and had been sick.

According to the National Post,

Witnesses at the bustling housing complex for New York University faculty, near Washington Square Park, told local media outlets that from what they could gather, Mr. Roweis must have jumped during a lull in a noisy argument. His wife, Meredith Goldwasser, did not realize he was missing until later, and was distraught when she discovered what had happened. Reports said the incident took place shortly after 10 p.m.

A psychotherapist hypothesized that Roweis could possibly have been a victim of postpartum depression, saying that "studies suggest men may be just as likely as women to be depressed when they become parents. The condition is typically called paternal postnatal depression."

Roweis was an award-winning researcher who "impressed his colleagues with his sharp mind and quick wit," making his suicide that much more "unfathomable" to them.