Wall Street Journal Editorial Writer Is Found Dead
Asked about Mr. Rago, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner’s office said, “The cause
and manner of death are pending further studies following today’s examination.”
Mr. Rago, a graduate of Dartmouth College, won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2011 “for his well crafted,
against-the-grain editorials challenging the health care reform advocated by President Obama,” his citation said.
“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the death of Joseph Rago, a splendid journalist
and beloved friend,” Paul Gigot, the editor of The Journal’s editorial page, said in a statement.
“Joe and his family are in our thoughts and prayers, and we will be celebrating his work in Saturday’s paper.”
Mr. Gigot had notified the newspaper’s security officials after Mr. Rago did not appear at
work on Thursday, according to an article published on The Journal’s website on Friday.
Police officers discovered Mr. Rago’s body at his apartment in Manhattan at around 8 p.m.
after a request to check on him, a spokeswoman for the New York Police Department said.