Bryan Woolston
An Ohio student released from imprisonment in North Korea and reported to be in a coma arrived home in Cincinnati late Tuesday. Otto Warmbier, who was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in March 2016 for attempting to steal a propaganda poster, was immediately taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center upon his return. A crowd of supporters and friends had gathered at the airport and reportedly cheered when his plane touched down. Many held signs that read, “Prayers for Otto” and “Welcome Home Otto.” But Warmbier, who has reportedly been in a coma since some time after his trial, was carried by a stretcher and immediately placed in an ambulance. His parents say they only learned of his deteriorating health in recent days, though questions remain about how he wound up in a coma. A report by CNN said earlier that the 22-year-old student had contracted botulism, and North Korean authorities had blamed his illness on food poisoning. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Warmbier’s release was secured at the behest of President Trump after a senior official visited Pyongyang. But the State Department was also forced to play down the idea that former NBA star Dennis Rodman had anything to do with Warmbier’s release. The controversial ex-basketball player embarked on a mysterious visit to North Korea a day before Warmbier was freed, though U.S. officials described his trip as a “bizarre coincidence.”