Body Found On Beach In Malibu Pepperdine's Athletic Chaplain
MALIBU (CBS) — The body of Pepperdine University athletic chaplain Maurice Hilliard was found Monday on a beach in Malibu.
Hilliard's body was discovered around 9 a.m. near the 2600 block of Pacific Coast Highway, authorities said. The sheriff's department is investigating the death.
It is unknown how Hilliard died, but investigators believe it was due to an accident or natural causes.
Hilliard had been part of Pepperdine's staff since 2001, holding positions that included assistant coach for the women's basketball team, director of operations for the men's basketball team and academic coordinator.
Since 2010, Hilliard was program director at the university's Boone Center for the Family.
"Maurice was a precious gift from God," Pepperdine women's basketball coach Julie Rousseau said. "We were blessed to have him touch our lives in such a unique way. Things were different around him. The sun shined a little brighter when he was around. Things didn't seem so bad when he was around."
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