Death of California law student, 19, linked to popular weight loss shot, as frightening symptoms and distraught mother's three word outburst at awful news are revealed

By PETER HENN and JIMMY MCCLOSKEY, HEAD OF NEWS Published: 20:40, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 20:41, 9 August 2026 A Californian teenager studying law in London died while taking a popular weight loss shot even though she wasn't obese, an inquest heard. Josephine Nasr, 19, suffered a fatal heart rhythm in her dorm room at the University of East London in September 2025. She had been prescribed Tirzepatide by her doctor in California, with an inquest into her death held in London on August 3 linking the drug to Nasr's death. An empty vial of the treatment was found in her room after staff broke in to check on her on September 23 last year. Nasr was a second-year law student at the University of East London and had only returned to the UK capital from her $1.6 million home in a gated Southern California community the week before her death.  The teenager had spoken to family members at about 8.30pm that evening, but was found dead a little over two hours later, East London Coroner's Court heard.  She had told her father, George, her mother Lorin Mansour and her sister, Anastasia, that she had been feeling nauseous and had been vomiting. The family, who were getting ready for a trip to Egypt, became worried about her and urged her to get some fresh air. Josephine Nasr had been prescribed Tirzepatide by her doctor in California. Her BMI saw her classified as overweight, rather than obese  Josephine Nasr, right, died while studying in London, with her death linked to a weight loss drug she was taking  Her sister was concerned Nasr would become dehydrated as a result of vomiting and called a private healthcare provider in order to get her some IV fluids. Anastasia tried to call her sister but got no answer, and then tried to contact someone from the university's security team to request a welfare check. By the time she managed to speak to a member of the security team, the nurse had arrived at the campus to administer the IV fluids. Security staff then accompanied the nurse to Nasr's flat, knocked on the door, but got no answer. The security staff let themselves in and found her lying on the bathroom floor. Emergency services were called, but London Ambulance Service pronounced the teenager dead at the scene. Police searched the room and found an empty vial of Tirzepatide.  The inquest heard Nasr had a body mass index that indicated that she was overweight but not obese. She had been prescribed the medication by her doctor in the United States, in the summer of 2025, the court was told.  Nasr died while taking Tirzepatide, pictured, a popular weight loss shot  Nasr was studying in London, where an inquest ruled that she died of an undiagnosed heart condition caused by an imbalance of electrolytes that was in turn caused by Tirzepatide Nasr was found dead in a halls of residence (dorm) room at the University of East London (pictured) Tirzepatide's side effects include vomiting and nausea, the inquest heard. A post-mortem, carried out by pathologist Alan Bates, found that Nasr had a congenital heart condition, myocardial bridging, which could have contributed to her going into a fatal arrhythmia. However, Dr Bates also said that vomiting caused by Tirzepatide can cause a drop in blood sugar known as hypoglycemia. That can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which in turn can cause arrhythmia. Nasr's heart condition could have worsened that imbalance, Dr Bates said.  He added: 'She was an otherwise healthy young woman.' Dr Bates also said the presence of rigor mortis suggested that the young woman had died closer to when she last spoke to her parents than to when she was found. When her family were notified of her death, they were at Los Angeles International Airport getting ready to fly to Egypt, where they have family connections. Her mother answered the call, said 'Deceased means dead' and then fainted, the court heard. The Nasrs canceled their trip, and George Nasr flew to London to identify his daughter's body and prepare her repatriation. Nasr had been a student at Santiago High School and was due to graduate in international law and legal studies in 2027. Nasr grew up in a $1.6 million home in a gated community in Corona, California (pictured) Her family paid tribute to her. Her father said: 'She was full of joy and always helped others before herself. 'She loved travelling and the ocean.' Her mother said that, while her daughter was quiet, she was committed to her family. She added: 'We are part of the Coptic Church, and the way Josephine was willing to help people showed that she lived her faith.' Coroner Graeme Irvine made a narrative conclusion, saying that on the balance of probabilities, the death was caused by a cardiac arrhythmia, caused by myocardial bridging and an imbalance of electrolytes caused by hypoglycemia, in turn caused by prescribed Tirzepatide. Mr Irvine also found that, although Anastasia Nasr had spent some time trying to contact the University of East London, the university had changed its policies and, even if Anastasia had been able to get hold of security earlier, it was unlikely that it would have made a difference. He said: 'This is a terrible tragedy and the fact that it happened to someone who was thousands of miles away from her family only made it worse. 'Please accept my sincerest condolences.'