ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Tompkins County Sheriff's Department announced Feb. 23 that a body recovered from the Six Mile Creek Natural Area in the town of Ithaca has been identified as that of Ritesh S. Shetty, 24, a Cornell University graduate student who had been missing since Sept. 26, 2002.

The body was found Feb. 20 in a densely wooded area by a hiker on snowshoes. The death has been ruled a suicide.

Shetty was reported missing to Cornell University Police Sept. 26 by his housemates after they had not seen him for several days. Cornell Police and the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office launched the joint investigation at that time to locate him. Aiding in the search were the Ithaca Police, New York State Police, the New York State Forest Rangers and officials from the Indian Consulate in New York City.

A native of Bombay, India, Shetty enrolled in Cornell's graduate program in chemical engineering in fall 1999. He earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay.

A memorial service for Shetty will be held Sunday, March 2, at 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall on campus. Professor Paulette Clancy, director of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will lead the service.

Students who need support should contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Gannett: Cornell University Health Services. CAPS can be reached at 255-5208 during the day and 255-5155 during evening and weekend hours. The student support office can be reached at 255-3608 during office hours and through the campus police 24 hours per day at 255-1111. Another support service is EARS (Empathy, Assistance and Referral Service) at 255-3277 and http://rso.cornell.edu/EARS . Students also can go to CURW and their college advisers.

A confidential 24-hour hotline for people in crisis is provided by Ithaca's Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service at 272-1616.