Here Is What Happened to Leah Palmirotto and How She Is Connected to 'Stranger Things'
The 19-year-old died on Dec. 19, 2025.
Published Dec. 31 2025, 12:21 p.m. ET
Fans of the Netflix show Stranger Things are asking what happened to 19-year-old Leah Palmirotto after the teen died in an accident on Dec. 19, 2025.
The accident happened at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., at approximately 12:50 a.m. Leah and some friends were on the Briarcliff campus visiting an abandoned building located at 1256 Briarcliff Road when a tragic accident took her life. So, what happened?
What happened to Leah Palmirotto?
Leah and some friends were hanging out when they decided to visit the abandoned hospital building on the Emory University campus. The Briarcliff Building was built in the 1960s to be used as a mental health treatment facility — the Georgia Mental Health Institute — before it was bought by the college in the 1990s, per KBTX News. The group climbed a fence to get into the building, and Leah fell from the building's roof as the group explored the abandoned structure.
A vigil was held for Leah on Dec. 24 at the teen's favorite skate park in Kennesaw, and her father, Todd Palmirotto, told WRDW News that his daughter touched "many people’s hearts."
“It just shows how many people’s hearts she’s touched,” said Palmirotto of the large turnout at Leah's vigil. “Every single person here has a story. Every single person here — she’s touched their lives, their hearts. They love her.”
The site was one of 40 buildings that the university rents to the entertainment industry.
The building Leah fell from was featured in 'Stranger Things.'
Building A, as the abandoned building is now called, is rented out to the entertainment industry for filming locations. The building was used for shows like The Vampire Diaries and, most recently, the Hawkins National Laboratory in Stranger Things.
Leah's dad said he thinks his daughter may have visited the property before, and he issued a warning to others who may be thinking of exploring abandoned buildings.
"Going to these places are dangerous, being with people that you really don’t know, like we just kind of always had something in the back of our mind that something could happen," he said. "I’m just hoping it was instant. I just hope she felt no pain."
A GoFundMe was set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
"Our dear friends lost their beloved daughter, Leah Madyson Palmirotto, early the morning of Dec. 19, 2025, in a tragic accident," read a statement from family friend, Tom Cavanaugh. "Just doing stuff that normal 19-year-old kids do ended up in pure devastation. I am writing this fundraiser to ask for your help for her funeral/memorial costs, as well as helping the family get through this difficult time. If you can give, please do. If you cannot, please share."
The post also noted that Leah was into photography and "loved exploring and photographing abandoned buildings." The teen is survived by her heartbroken family — her father, Todd, her mother, Katie, and her two brothers, Devan and Lucca.
The DeKalb County Police Department is still investigating the tragic accident.