“It’s important that we can present the most complete picture,” Denner said. “[We want] to give a context of who he is and what he’s done in the past.”

Denner said Pring-Wilson has a clean criminal record except for a minor incident in college, which Denner called a prank. He takes no medication and has never been diagnosed with any mental illness, Denner said.

“This is my worst nightmare,” said Pring-Wilson’s mother Cynthia Pring. “He’s never been in trouble like this before.”

She described her son’s accomplishments with tears in her eyes. “I’m so proud of him, he’s worked so hard,” she said.

When asked by a reporter whether she had anything to say to the victim’s family, Pring said, “That’s sort of an odd question—I feel like my son was the victim.”

A Shocked Campus

A couple of miles from the courthouse, students and faculty at the Davis Center continued to express shock at the arrest of their classmate and waited hopefully for a logical explanation.

Stefani L. Bell, a classmate of Pring-Wilson—who is known as “Sander”—said she couldn’t imagine him committing a violent act.

“When I think of Sander, the words that come to mind would be lighthearted and good natured,” Bell said. She described Pring-Wilson as laid back.

She said that other students in their 15-person master’s program in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia studies were in “utter disbelief.”

Bell said that she and her fellow students stand behind Pring-Wilson. “We indicated we’ve been willing to anything to vouch for his character or do whatever is needed.”

A class of seven students Bell takes with Pring-Wilson was sidetracked yesterday.

Preceptor of Russian Languages and Literature Natalia Pokrovsky said they spent time discussing their reaction to the weekend’s events. “We couldn’t believe he was a murderer,” Pokrovsky said.

Pokrovsky said Pring-Wilson always showed “so much genuine sympathy and empathy to people here. To me it’s paradoxical.”

She said her experience with him in class gives her no reason to believe Pring-Wilson was aggressive.