Sociology professor Mate Pleic dies
by Antonio Sanchez news@dailylobo.com Sociology instructor and UNM doctoral student Mate Pleic, 32, died on Sunday. An official time and date of death is pending. UNM Senior University Communication Representative Carolyn Gonzales said that in an update from the OMI autopsy, Pleic died of an intracerebral hemorrhage. An official autopsy report from OMI is pending. On Dec. 7, Elizabeth Boyle, a friend of Pleic, reported to APD that the instructor was missing, having last been seen on Dec. 3. In the published missing person’s report, an officer checked by Pleic’s apartment to find the door was locked and that his windows were closed. The officer reported of no signs of suspicious activity before calling the property’s landlord. The landlord never picked up. Boyle said she and three of Pleic’s friends also called the landlord throughout the weekend, and the landlord never picked up. Boyle said she and the three friends decided to stop by Pleic’s apartment Sunday afternoon after calling the landlord multiple times and receiving word to wait 24 hours from police on Saturday and Sunday. After fiddling open the door, Boyle said she entered the apartment, where she found Pleic dead in his bedroom. Boyle said she then notified authorities, before receiving word from the landlord that he could open Pleic’s apartment, an hour after the incident occurred. Boyle said the landlord later called to notify that he was on his way to lock up the apartment. The Daily Lobo was able to get in touch with Bryan Keith, Pleic’s landlord. Keith declined to comment. Pleic maintained a doctorate in sociology and taught two undergraduate sociology classes, “Sociological Data Analysis” and “Intro to Research Methods.” Senior University Communication Representative Carolyn Gonzales said the University has stepped forward to handle Pleic’s classes as well as keep in contact with his family, who lives in Croatia. “Our biggest concern was not only him but his classes, because he did teach two classes and he did have one final Thursday, and the other one had a final Friday. The Department of Sociology has made arrangements to handle both classes, so they’re going to be fine,” Gonzales said. “We’re also working with Office of International Programs and Studies, they’re working with the state department to work with his family.” Boyle and friend Glenn Ballard said Pleic was a hardworking student and a great friend. “He was my wingman, by being with me, it made him look younger and it made me seem less geeky, because Mate was more geeky than I was,” Ballard said. “He was a really cool guy, honestly, sincerely one of the nicest people I’ve known.”