U.S. Marines identify man allegedly involved in death of Emerson student as reservist

The U.S. Marine Corps is identifying a Marine reservist out of Fort Devens as allegedly being involved in last month's death of Emerson College student Daniel Hollis.

The Marines said in a statement that reservist Lance Corporal Samuel London is "being processed for administrative separation" related to the death of Hollis, a 19-year-old who played lacrosse at Emerson College and died several days after being assaulted on a street in Allston in September. Hollis spent nearly a week in the hospital with a severe head injury, only to be diagnosed with a blood clot and later removed from life support.

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"The Marine Corps is aware of the circumstances surrounding Lance Corporal Samuel London. The charges against him are very serious, and local authorities continue to have our full cooperation," the statement said. "The Marine is currently being processed for administrative separation, any additional comment on the incident would be premature because it is still under investigation."

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Boston police confirmed Thursday that they have not made any arrests, and the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said it would not comment on the case.

London's family says he grew up in Lexington and was a good kid who never got into any trouble. His uncle, Boris London, told Boston 25 News that the Marine was passionate about serving his country and said he was surprised to hear his nephew was possibly involved. He said while he didn't know what happened, he theorized that Samuel could have been protecting his friends or acting in self-defense. "How he feels about this country is the same way he feels about his friends. He will protect them at any cost," he said.

A Marine Corps spokesperson told Boston 25 News​​​​​ in October: "We are deeply saddened to learn that an off-base incident allegedly involving one of our Marines has led to the passing of a man in the Boston community. This is a tragic event and is being treated with great care and solemnity on the part of the command."

The Marines Corps said at that time that more information would be released "once the Marine is in custody."

The Hollis family had asked for privacy following Daniel's death, saying they "wish to focus our energy on celebrating his life and helping one another learn to live in a world with a little less sunshine."

Officials have not released many details on the circumstances of the fight or any details on London's connection to the case.

Cox Media Group