Peace Corps Online: July 8, 2003 - The Oregonian: Peace Corps Volunteer Zack Merrill found dead near Mali town

July 8, 2003 - The Oregonian: Peace Corps Volunteer Zack Merrill found dead near Mali town

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: Peace Corps Headlines - 2003: July 2003 Peace Corps Headlines: July 23, 2003 - Peace Corps Press Release: Updated to Investigation on death of PCV Zachary Merrill : July 8, 2003 - The Oregonian: Peace Corps Volunteer Zack Merrill found dead near Mali town

By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 4:27 pm: Edit Post

Peace Corps Volunteer Zack Merrill found dead near Mali town

Read and comment on this obituary from the Oregonian that Peace Corps volunteer Zack Merrill has died while serving in the West African nation of Mali. Merrill's body was found near his work site, which was in the area of Bla, Peace Corps Press Secretary Barbara Daly said. Merrill worked in a village of about 800 people with no running water or electricity and an eight-hour trip outside the country's capital. He had been helping villagers with irrigation and water projects.

Our condolences to the Merrill family on behalf of the Returned Volunteer community. Read the story at:

Local grad is found dead near Mali town*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.

Local grad is found dead near Mali town

07/09/03
AIMEE GREEN

A Lake Oswego High School graduate who has been working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali for nearly two years was found dead Monday near a remote village where he worked.

Zachary Merrill's death is under investigation by the Peace Corps, the U.S. embassy in Mali and police in the western African country, said Peace Corps spokeswoman Barbara Daly in Washington, D.C.

Daly said they did not know whether Merrill died of natural causes, an accident or as the result of foul play.

Merrill's body was found near his work site, which was in the area of Bla, Daly said. Merrill worked in a village of about 800 people with no running water or electricity and an eight-hour trip outside the country's capital. He had been helping villagers with irrigation and water projects.

Merrill, 23, apparently was enjoying his two-year stint, which was nearing an end. He had a girlfriend, who also worked for the Peace Corps in Mali.

"He was set to close his service in November," Daly said. "He had actually requested a year-long extension."

Merrill was one of 174 Peace Corps volunteers in Mali, and one of 6,678 in 70 countries around the globe. After three months of training, volunteers serve two years in their host countries. They receive a $200 monthly stipend on average -- enough to live among the people of their countries -- and about $6,000 upon finishing their full terms.

The Peace Corps, which was founded in 1961, has been in Mali since 1971. Daly considers it safe. The U.S. Department of State reports good relations with Mali.

The last Peace Corps volunteer to die, Daly said, died in a bicycle accident in March 2001.

Merrill, whose family lives in Dunthorpe, attended Riverdale Grade School. He graduated from Lake Oswego High in 1997, and from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism in 2001.

In high school, he was sports editor for the school newspaper, a baseball player, a national merit commended scholar, a member of the Issues and Debate Club, vice president of physics for the Science Expo Club and apparently thrived in the outdoors. A photo in his senior yearbook shows him on a mountain next to his quote, "Hiking is superfly."

Merrill also spoke French at near fluency. That and his drive to help others took him to Mali, where French is the official language.

Through a Peace Corps representative, Merrill's family declined to comment.

Teacher Ricky Korach remembers Merrill as a very bright member of her high school honors English class. She was not surprised to learn he'd volunteered for the Peace Corps.

"He was a very socially conscious kid," Korach said. "He was a person very much interested in making the world a better place, in helping people. He was very outgoing." Aimee Green: 503-294-5969; aimeegreen@news.oregonian.com

Peace Corps Volunteer Zack Merrill dies in Mali

Read and comment on this story from Northwest News Channel 8 that Peace Corps volunteer Zack Merrill has died while serving in the West African nation of Mali. Mali police and the U.S. Embassy were investigating his death, but a Peace Corps spokeswoman said it does not appear suspicious. The Peace Corps believes Merrill died Sunday and is investigating the circumstances, Press Secretary Barbara Daly said. She declined to give further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Our condolences to the Merrill family on behalf of the Returned Volunteer community. Read the story at:

Portland-area Peace Corps volunteer dies*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.

Portland-area Peace Corps volunteer dies

07/08/2003

By DOUG IRVING and PAT DOORIS, KGW Staff

A Peace Corps volunteer from the Portland area has died while serving in the West African nation of Mali.

The body of Zack Merrill was found Monday in the large village of Bla, where he had served for nearly two years. Mali police and the U.S. Embassy were investigating his death, but a Peace Corps spokeswoman said it does not appear suspicious.

“It’s very highly unlikely that there’s anything of suspicion involved,” said Barbara Daly, the Peace Corps press secretary in Washington, DC.

The Peace Corps believes Merrill died Sunday and also is investigating the circumstances, Daly said. She declined to give further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Merrill, 24, graduated from Lake Oswego High School in 1998. He was due to complete his two-year tour with the Peace Corps in November, Daly said. He had requested a one-year extension to focus on information technology in Mali; the Peace Corps was in the process of approving that request.

Merrill had stayed with a host family in Bla during his service there. Daly did not know what project he had been working on.

Merrill’s family declined to comment.

“He was definitely a very popular, well-received volunteer,” Daly said. “I’ve heard so many things about him.”

The Peace Corps has about 175 volunteers working in Mali, and some of them are working in the vicinity of Bla, Daly said.

The last Peace Corps volunteer to die overseas was Beth Bowers, who died in Africa in 2001 after a bike accident.

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7/6/03

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