James Brandon Czerepusko, a 31-year-old Gainesville resident and UF alumnus, was found dead on UF campus Monday evening. He was reported missing Sunday when he didn’t return home from a bike ride.
Art Forgey, Gainesville Police Department’s public information officer, said Czerepusko’s body was found Monday behind the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. GPD was notified of his death around 6 p.m. He said GPD confirmed Czerepusko died by suicide.
University police are currently working the case, Forgey said. Czerepusko’s family has been notified of the discovery.
Czerepusko FaceTimed his brother around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and there was nothing abnormal about the call or his behavior, according to Jessica Nguyen, Czerepusko’s cousin.
Family members believe he left his Gainesville residence sometime after 6 p.m. Saturday to go on a bike ride.
The next morning, he didn’t show up to his shift at LifeSouth Community Blood Center. LifeSouth contacted his housemate, who was out of town at the time of Czerepusko’s disappearance.
A friend living nearby checked his home and noticed Czerepusko, his road bike and his running shoes were missing. His phone and wallet were left inside the home.
Nguyen made a Facebook post shortly afterward, looking for any sign of Czerepusko’s whereabouts.
Czerepusko was a consistent biker and runner, Nguyen said in an interview Monday afternoon. He frequented the 16-mile Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, Paynes Prairie and Alfred A. Ring Park.
“He’s very quiet, independent,” she said. “His loves are cycling, running, mountain biking, rock climbing.”
Nguyen confirmed in a text message Monday night Czerepusko had been found.
“We thank the community for all of your assistance in this search,” she wrote.
Contact Vanessa Norris at vnorris@alligator.org. Follow her on X @vanessajnorris.
