What happened to Avery McMillan? Man charged over the brutal death of Indiana University student

Trigger Warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.

Indiana University student Avery McMillan, 20, met a tragic fate after she was brutally assaulted by a 33-year-old man. She was a senior at the University and a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

The accused has been identified as Eric Montgomery, who police say has a violent criminal past. Avery McMillan was reportedly found unresponsive and unconscious at Montgomery's home in Bloomington on Wednesday following which police arrested the latter.

Montgomery was arrested on a warrant for r*pe when the victim was mentally disabled or deficient and for providing alcohol to a minor. Avery McMillan was found dead under mysterious circumstances on August 17.

On that fateful day, Montgomery called 911 and provided his narrative. He claimed to have met McMillan that morning near campus before they engaged in intercourse. He also told the operator that they smoked up and consumed alcohol before they returned to his home on Arlington Road.

Once Montgomery found out her condition was getting worse, he called 911.

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Emergency personnel tried to revive Avery McMillan with three doses of Narcan

When first responders arrived at Montgomery's home, they administered three doses of Narcan to McMillan as a means to counteract opioid overdose.

However, they were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner is also trying to find out the exact cause of Avery McMillan’s death. It is believed that test results could take up to a month to arrive.

While Montgomery was cooperative in explaining what took place between him and Avery McMillan, authorities did not reveal anything that happened between the time McMillan was picked up and her death the next day.

Video surveillance obtained shows that between 2 am and 4 am, McMillan kicked and punched the doors of her apartment building and elevator buttons. She continued to have trouble standing straight.

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Montgomery is being held at $100,000 bail

Given Montgomery's violent and criminal history, a special division named the Critical Incident Response Team helped the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office with the arrest.

Following his arrest, the accused was slapped with a r*pe charge, apart from this, records show that Montgomery has been arrested on multiple occasions in Indiana. He was recently arrested for marijuana possession.

Back in 2019, Montgomery was charged with endangering a person while driving under the influence. Then in 2018, he was involved in a domestic battery and burglary case. In 2012, Montgomery was charged with credit card fraud and found himself in legal trouble for trading a counterfeit substance in 2011.

A GoFundMe page was created by McMillan's friend Gabrielle Parsons. Meanwhile, friends and family have expressed their grief over her passing. One message on Avery McMillan's memorial page reads:

"Avery, you were a beautiful free spirit who brightened our lives. You were so generous with your love and you gave joy and comfort to many people. You were so full of life and you still had so much to offer the world."