Sarah Papenheim US Student Stabbed in Netherlands by Roommate

Sarah Papenheim

Sarah Papenheim was until recently a budding musician trying to make it in the jazz world, sadly her life was cut short while at College in the Netherlands.

Sarah is said to have been killed by her roommate at Erasmus University Rotterdam, according to reports the pretty blonde was supposed to be coming home for Christmas where she was scheduled to appear onstage at Schooner Tavern in Minneapolis.

According to Dutch authorities, Papenheim was stabbed to death by her roommate –a 23-year-old man who fled the apartment building in Rotterdam on a train and was captured at a station 65 miles away. The killer who is yet to be identified is a cello player, his motive for the killing is still not clear.

21-year-old Sarah, the daughter of mother, Donee Odegard –is said to have bonded with her assailant over music. The two had been sharing an apartment for about a year. According to her mother, her roommate had recently become unstable. At the time of the stabbing, Odegard believes her daughter was collecting her clothes as she was planning to move with her boyfriend.

Her grieving mother also revealed Sarah Papenheim lost her brother to suicide about three years ago –reason why Sarah had decided to study psychology. She said her daughter loved music and loved playing the drums but also wanted to understand why her brother had committed suicide.

Sarah Papenheim spent some of her childhood in Minnesota but attended high school in California. While in high school she played drums in the jazz band and marching band. Following her graduation she returned to Minneapolis where she played the drums at Shaw’s Bar.

Sarah even became somewhat of a protégé of Garry “Jellybean” Johnson.

While in the Netherlands, she kept close to her music making a guest apparition with the Minneapolis-based Bernard Allison Group at a rock venue in Germany while the band was on tour.

Sarah’s mother is currently trying to figure out how to bring her back home. We send our condolences.