Hundreds of students gathered at a vigil on the Rutgers campus Wednesday night to remember Billy McCaw, a former student who was found dead in a backyard after attending a fraternity party over the weekend.
One by one, mourners lit their candles on the steps of Brower Commons and then raised them together as they shouted McCaw's name. Friends lined up at a microphone to share their favorite memories of the 22-year-old Tennessee native, who had recently transferred to Kean University to play soccer. McCaw, they said, had always loved the first university he attended.
"He was the ultimate Rutgers fan, to the point he'd go to a game alone and cheer them on," remembered a friend.
McCaw was involved with the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity while attending Rutgers. Some at the vigil laughed as they recalled the funny things McCaw was known to do.
"When I came home, he'd always be watching Showtime in my dorm room because he knew I had a subscription," one friend joked.
McCaw's father and siblings were also at the vigil.
"Call your parents," Bob McCaw reminded those in attendance, "and tell them you love them."
McCaw's body was found behind an off-campus home in New Brunswick Saturday. Prosecutors suspect foul play and believe he was killed between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m., after attending a fraternity party.
"It's scary knowing the person who did this is still out there and he could be amongst us. It's frightening," said Rutgers junior Ross Kurtz.
