BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Could a self-admitted cannibal have been stopped? He had a long association with Morgan State University– a school that has been under intense scrutiny over its response.

Mike Hellgren has the president’s first statement on the tragedy.

The university president offered his condolences to those affected but refused to say anything else because his lawyers advised him not to. WJZ did find a source who knows both the suspect and victim very well.

Charges that Alexander Kinyua dismembered and ate his roommate Kujoe Agyei-Kodie have rocked communities around the world.

It spans from their native African villages to Harford County– where police say the murder unfolded– to Morgan State University where they attended classes.

And at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baltimore, the pastor who ministered to both men is trying to make sense of it all.

“First of all, I don’t think he was in his right mind,” Pastor Eric T. Campbell said. “I made a statement to the congregation on Sunday that I believe even Kujoe forgives Alex because that’s the kind of person Kujoe was.”

The church is not only raising money to help pay for Kinyua’s defense but also to help pay for a proper burial for his victim.

The young men lived like brothers.

“The first thing Dr. Kinyua said to me was it was like losing two sons,” Campbell said. “It is because of his faith he is able to carry this burden, but it is a tremendous burden.”

And while their families grieve, serious questions remain over whether Morgan State missed warning signs.

Kinyua is accused of attacking another student, Josh Caesar, days before the murder.

“As soon as I walked into the door, boom! I got hit with a bat,” Caesar said.

“When you have a situation where a student has been identified as a ‘Virginia Tech waiting to happen,’ you need to conduct an investigation,” Steve Silverman, Caesar’s lawyer, said.

The university says its president is conducting a full review to see if anything could have been done differently.

Kinyua remains in jail in Harford County after being denied bail last week.