A 19-year-old woman has died after falling from an abandoned Emory University building in DeKalb County, Georgia, which served as Hawkins National Laboratory in the Netflix series Stranger Things. Police and fire officials responded to the Briarcliff Building shortly after 1 a.m. on Friday, where the woman, later identified as Leah Palmirotto, was pronounced dead.
Investigators believe Palmirotto entered the five-storey building, constructed in the 1960s, by climbing over a chain-link fence with friends. The number of companions at the time of the incident has not been disclosed. One parent told local media that their son, part of a group that explores abandoned sites, had called them in distress.
The Briarcliff Building formerly housed the Georgia Mental Health Institute before Emory University acquired it in the 1990s. It became internationally recognised after featuring as the fictional Hawkins Lab, where secret experiments in the series open a gateway to the Upside Down. The building was listed among over 40 Emory properties available for film rentals, but that listing was removed on Friday.
Emory announced in 2022 that the building would be demolished for a senior housing complex. Demolition reportedly began in June, though explorers were still inside as of October. The university vacated the property in 2024, confirmed ongoing demolition, and stated that no-trespassing signs are posted with increased security.
