This Present Darkness: bullying-related deaths

These are articles and columns about students whose deaths have been linked to bullying. Links to more recent incidents (i.e., anything posted in the past six months) may be found in Raven Days' current-news section, Radio Free High School. Relevant links which are still active after six months are moved here.

Mother of Bullied Teen Files Lawsuit Against Tehachapi Schools -- July 6, 2011. -- Tehachapi, California, USA. -- 13-year-old Seth Walsh hanged himself after being bullied. Article by Jose Gaspar for KBAK. See also July 5th's Feds: School Failed to Stop Bullying of Gay Student, by Corey G. Johnson for California Watch, July 4th's School District Failed Bullied to Death Teen, a blog post by Steve W. for Care2, July 2nd's Calif. School District Ordered to Address Harassment, by Trudy Ring for the Advocate, and July 1st's Investigation: Tehachapi District's Response to Bullying Inadequate by Jorge Barrientos for the Californian.

Asher's Parents Respond to Abuse Allegations -- Apr. 25, 2011. -- Cypress, Texas, USA. -- 13-year-old Asher Brown, a straight-A student, killed himself after being pushed down a flight of stairs. Article web-published by Dallas Voice. See also Apr. 22nd's School Trashed Bullying Evidence After Son's Suicide, Mother Says, by Cameron Langford for Courthouse News Service, Apr. 21's Asher Brown's Parents Suing ..., by David Brinch for the Republican, April 19th's Parents of Teen who Killed Self Sue Cy-Fair ISD, by Terry Langford and Nolan Hicks for the Houston Chronicle, April 19th's Bullying Victim's Parents File Lawsuit Against Cy-Fair ISD, web-published by KTRK, and April 19th's Family Sues Cy-Fair ISD, School Administrators After Son's Suicide, by Leigh Frillici for KHOU.

Marshall Suicides Raise Questions over Bullying -- Apr. 21, 2011. -- Marshall, Minnesota, USA. -- Paige Moravetz and Haylee Fentress, both 14, hanged themselves April 16th. Their families said they had been bullied. Article web-published by KARE. See also Apr. 21st's Family Says Teen Suicide Victims Were Bullied, web-published by WTHR, and Apr. 20th's Double-Suicide Rocks Minnesota Middle School,web-published by AHN,

Girl Bullied to Death: Parents -- Apr. 4, 2011. -- Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. -- 17-year-old Courtney Brown killed herself after being bullied. Article web-published by CBC.

Parents' Suit Says School Ignored Bullying that Led to Teen's Suicide -- Mar. 29, 2011. -- Joshua, Texas, USA. -- 13-year-old Jon Carmichael killed himself in March, 2010 after being bullied. Article by Vivian Kuo for CNN.

Update: Teenager Death -- Mar. 8, 2011. -- Miltona, Minnesota, USA. 18-year-old Lance Lunsden died, a suspected suicide, on January 15th after being bullied. Article web-published by KSAX.

Schoolgirl "Bullied Over Parents' Divorce" Dies.... -- Feb. 16, 2011. -- Worcester, England, U.K. -- 15-year-old Natasha MacBryde threw herself under a train on Valentine's Day. Article by Andy Dolan for the Daily Mail. See also Feb. 16th's "School's Bullies Drove Girl, 15, to Train Suicide", by Jo Willey for the Express.

Vigil Held for Teen Who Committed Suicide .... -- Feb. 10, 2011. -- Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. -- 13-year-old Justin D'Andre James killed himself after being bullied. Article by Jeff Rivenbark for WBTV.

Witnesses: Bullying May Have Sparked Deadly Bus Stop Stabbing -- Jan. 25, 2011. -- Naples, Florida, USA. -- 14-year-old Jorge Saavedra killed a boy who'd been bullying him. Article by Ryan Mills for the Naples News.

Pastor: Girl Saw Teenager Slammed into Wall -- Nov. 10, 2010. -- Middleburg, Pennsylvania, USA. -- 14-year-old Brandon Bitner killed himself Nov. 5th. He left a note saying that he had been bullied for five years. Article by Evamarie Socha for the Daily Item.

Parents of Deceased Boyertown Student: You Can't Ignore Bullying -- Oct. 29, 2010. -- Douglass, Pennsylvania, USA. -- 17-year-old Jesse Buchsbaum killed himself Oct. 25th. His parents and sister think he was bullied at school; the school denies it. Article by Brandie Kessler for the Mercury. See also Oct. 30th's Police Wary of Bullying Backlash After Boyertown Student's Suicide, also by Brandie Kessler for the Mercury, in which the local police and the superintendant of schools make the remarkable claim that saying that people are bullies is itself bullying.

Family Blames Bullying for Suicide -- Oct. 25, 2010. -- Seattle, Washington, USA. -- 17-year-old Jordan Ryan Binion killed himself after experiencing "constant" bullying. Article by Linda Thomas for KIRO.

Mom Blames Son's Suicide on School Bullying -- Oct. 13, 2010. -- Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. -- A 12-year-old boy, who had been repeatedly bullied at school, killed himself. Now his mother is suing her son's school system. Article by Evan Priescop for the Courthouse News Service.

Hope's Warriors -- Oct. 7, 2010. -- Arden, Delaware, USA. -- 13-year-old Hope Witsell killed herself Sept. 12th after being bullied at school. Now her mother has started an anti-bullying program. Article by Cindy Roberts for AllVoices.

12-Year-Old Collapsed and Died Over "Stress of Bullying" -- Oct. 5, 2010. -- Bridgend, Wales, U.K. -- 12-year-old Holly Stuckey had a heart attack and died after being bullied at school. Article web-published by Metro. See also Oct. 5th's Schoolgirl Died After Months of Bullying, web-published by WalesOnline.

Bullying Alleged in Saugus Teen's Death -- Oct. 5, 2010. -- Saugus, Massachusetts, USA. -- 17-year-old Felix Sacco jumped off an overpass. Article by Chris Stevens for the Daily Item.

Teen Suicide Victim Remembered by Hundreds -- Sept. 16, 2010. -- Greensburg, Indiana, USA. -- 15-year-old Billy Lucas killed himself Sept. 9th after being bullied. Article web-published by WXIN. See also Sept. 15th's Vigil Held for Teen After Bullying-Related Suicide, by Jennie Runevitch for WTHR, Sept. 13th's Bullying May Have Pushed 15-Year-Old to Suicide, by Richard Essex for WTHR, Sept. 13th's Friends: Bullies Led to 15-Year-Old's Death, by Joanna Massee for WRTV.

Was Va. Teen Christian Taylor Bullied to Death? -- June 4, 2010. -- Yorktown, Virginia, USA. -- 16-year-old Christian Taylor killed himself May 31st, 2010 after relentless bullying. Article by Caroline Black for CBS. See also June 1st's York Mom: Bullied Son Hanged Self, by Jennifer L. Williams for the Daily Press.

Judge: Case Against 4 of 5 School Personnel.... -- Sept. 30, 2010. -- York County, Virginia, USA. -- Christian Taylor hanged himself May 31st after being repeatedly bullied. Now his mother is suing his school system for failing to protect him from his bullies. Article by Jennifer Williams for the Daily Press. See also August 5th's York Student's Mother Files $10 Million Wrongful Death Suit, by Jennifer Williams for the Daily Press.

School Adopts New Rules on Bullying After Student Commits Suicide -- May 28, 2010. -- Clanton, Alabama, USA. -- 15-year-old Alex Moore threw himself from a bridge May 12th after being bullied. Article web-published by Al.com.

Suicide at 15 of Online Bullies' Victim -- May 22, 2010. -- Birmingham, England, U.K. -- 15-year-old Tom Mullaney killed himself May 20, 2010 after being bullied. Article by Rod Chaytor for the Mirror. See also May 22nd's Facebook Bullying Suicide Investigated by Police, by the Metro.

"'Bye, Dad" Last Words of Boy.... -- May 21, 2010. -- Leyland, Lancashire, England, U.K. -- 17-year-old Matthew Miller threw himself from a bridge after being bullied. Article web-published by the Daily Mail.

Jemison Father Mourns for Daughter.... -- May 13, 2010. -- Jemison, Alabama, USA. -- 15-year-old Alex Moore killed herself after being repeatedly bullied. Article by Carol Robinson for the Birmingham News.

Family: Bullies Sucked Life Out of Teen -- April 1, 2010. -- Joshua, Texas, USA. -- 13-year-old Jon Carmichael killed himself after being relentlessly bullied at school. Article by Lari Barager for KDFW. See also Mar. 31st's Jon Carmichael, 13, Hangs Himself..., by Pete Kotz for True Crime Report, and Mar. 31st's 13-year-old Jon Carmichael Commits Suicide Following Bullying, by Edecio Martinez for KTVT.

Five Student Suicides Put Focus on Bullying Issue in Mentor -- Article about five bullied students from the same high school who killed themselves between 2005 and 2010. Article by Peter Krouse for the Plain Dealer.

Suicide: Alexis Pilkington.... -- Mar. 24, 2010. -- West Islip, New York, USA. -- 17-year-old Alexis Pilkington killed herself after repeatedly receiving rude messages on Facebook. Article web-published on Gather,. See also Mar. 24th's Alexis Pilkington Facebook Nightmare, web-published on RightJuris.

Teen Dies "After Being Bullied at School" -- Mar. 11, 2010. -- Manchester, England, U.K. -- Poppy Bracey killed herself March 1st after being bullied. Article by Katie Cassidy for Sky News.

Teenage Boy Hanged Himself After Years of Bullying -- Mar. 2, 2010. -- Scarborough, England, U.K. -- 16-year-old Michael Cooper killed himself in August, 2009. Article by Heidi Blake for the Telegraph.

School District Reviews Policy After Teenager's Suicide -- Feb. 6, 2010. -- Lantzville, British Columbia, Canada. -- 15-year-old Ashkan Sultani hanged himself on Jan. 12 after being bullied. Article by Darrell Bellaart for the Nanaimo Daily News, web-published by the National Post.

Teen Gets 50 Years for Murder in School -- Feb. 3, 2010. -- Baltimore, Maryland, USA. -- 14-year-old Timothy Oxendine fatally stabbed his bully. Article by Tricia Bishop for the Baltimore Sun. See also Nov. 29, 2008's Teen Recalled as Playful, Gifted, by Julie Bycowitz for the Baltimore Sun, and Nov. 23, 2008's Boy, 14, Charged in School Slaying, by Melissa Harris for the Baltimore Sun.

Boy Killed Himself After Years of Hell from School Bullies -- Jan. 20, 2010. -- Braintree, Essex, U.K. -- 13-year-old Harry Robinson hanged himself after being bullied. Article by David Pilditch for the Express.

Anti-Bullying Law Too Little, Too Late -- June 15, 2010. -- Chatsworth, Georgia, USA. -- -- 17-year-old Tyler Long killed himself Oct. 17, 2009 after being relentlessly bullied. Now his parents are suing his school system. Article by Callie Starnes for WRCB. See also March 19, 2010's Parents Sue District, Principal Over Bullied Son's Death, by D. Aileen Dodd for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 16, 2009's No Criminal Charges in Bullying Case, by Rachel Brown for the Daily Citizen, Nov. 13, 2009's Chatsworth Police Investigating Bullying Allegations After Student's Suicide, by Rachel Brown for the Daily Citizen.

Friends of Suspect in School Killing Fight Media -- Oct. 7, 2009. -- Gainesville, Florida, USA. -- A 17-year-old fatally stabbed another student, who had allegedly been bullying him. Article web-published by the Gainesville Sun.

Bullied Pupil, 16, Hanged Himself.... -- Sept. 7, 2009. -- Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. -- 16-year-old Michael Miller hanged himself August 26th. He had often been bullied by other students. Article by Chris Brooke for the Daily Mail.

Investigations Continue into Schoolboy's Death -- Sept. 2, 2009. -- Mullumbimby, New South Wales, Australia. -- 15-year-old Jai Morcom was fatally injured during a brawl at school. Article web-published by ABC. See also Aug. 31st's Schoolyard Death, by Charlotte Glennie for ABC, August 31st's Students Protest Over School Brawl Death, web-published by ABC, August 30th's Aussie Teen Dies After Schoolyard Violence, by Caroline Marcus and Les Kennedy for the Sun-Herald, web-published by Stuff.co.nz.

DeKalb School's Final Report -- August 27, 2009. -- Atlanta, Georgia, USA. -- 11-year-old Jaheem Herrera hanged himself after relentless bullying. Now his mother is suing his school system. Article by Kristina Torres for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. See also Apr. 26th's Taunted Boy Just Told Pals, "Bye," by Mark Davis for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution., Apr. 22nd's Bullies at School Took Boy's Life..., by Gracie Bonds Staples for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and October 26, 2011's Jaheem Herrera's Suicide...., a look back at Jaheem's death two years later, by Chandra R. Thomas for Juvenile Justice.

Schoolgirl Took Overdose After Bebo Bullying... -- July 30, 2009. -- Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, U.K. -- 15-year-old Megan Gillan was being homeschooled after being bullied by schoolmates. They learned her e-address and began bullying her online. Article web-published by the Telegraph. See also A Campaign to Stop the Bullies, by Aida Edemariam for the Guardian.

High School Girl Commits Suicide Amid Bullying -- June 15, 2009. -- South Jeolla, Korea. -- A gifted high school student hanged herself after being bullied at school. Article by Park Si-Soo for the Korea Times>.

High-School Bullying Drove Teen to Suicide -- June 18, 2010. -- Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. -- 14-year-old Alex Wildman killed himself July 25, 2008 after being bullied at school. Article by Saffron Howden for the Sydney Morning Herald. See also June 17th's Bullying Played Part in Suicide of Alex: Coroner, by Saffron Howden for the Sydney Morning Herald, June 17th's NSW School System Failed Bullied Teen: Coroner," web-published by the ABC, and Oct. 27, 2009's Counsellor Unaware of Wildman, by Saffron Howden for the Northern Star.

Teenager Found Dead "Was Bullied" June 25, 2008. -- Ton Pentre, Wales, U.K. -- 13-year-old Cherrell Ardle-Evans killed herself after being bullied at school. Article web-published by the BBC.

Parents Sue School After Bullied Son Commits Suicide -- June 16, 2008. -- Prestonsburg, Kentucky, USA. -- 13-year-old Stephen Patton shot himself after being relentlessly bullied at school. Now his parents are suing his school system. Article by Cassondra Kirby for the Pantagraph.

Three Families File Suit Over School Bullying -- May 30, 2008. -- Louisville, Kentucky, USA. -- 13-year-old Stephen Patton killed himself after being relentlessly bullied. Two other boys from the same part of Kentucky were also repeatedly beaten up by schoolmates. The parents of all three children are suing their school systems for failure to keep them safe. Article by Connie Leonard for WAVE.

Suicide Teen was Bullied at School -- May 15, 2008. -- London, England, U.K. -- 16-year-old Lucy Irvine hanged herself after being taunted by schoolmates. Article by Tomasz Johnson for the Hendon Times.

Bullying Probe Over Girl's Death -- April 23, 2008. -- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. -- 17-year-old Sarah Jean Walker killed herself and left a note saying that she had been bullied. Article by Carly Crawford for the Herald Sun.

Bullying Allegedly Takes Another Victim -- April 15, 2008. -- New York City, New York, USA. -- 12-year-old Maria Herrera killed herself April 7th after being bullied. Article by Emily Friedman for ABC.

Boy Sentenced to Life for Murdering School Mate -- December 18, 2007. -- New Delhi, India. -- An 18-year-old student who killed his bully has been sentenced to life in prison. Article web-published by the Hindu.

Finland Mourns Shooting Victims -- November 8, 2007. -- Tuusula, Finland. -- 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen, a bullied loner, shot and killed six students, the principal, and the school nurse at Jokela High School on November 7th, and then committed suicide. Article web-published by the BBC. See also Nov. 7th's Man Kills Eight at Finnish School, web-published by the BBC.

Cleveland School Reopens After Shooting -- October 16, 2007. -- A bullied 14-year-old shot two students and two teachers and then killed himself. Article web-published by MTV. See also Oct 11th's Who Was Asa Coon? by Scott Stephens and Rachel Dissell for the Plain Dealer, and Oct. 10th's Student Captures Chaotic Scene Inside School, web-published by WSFA.

The Tragic Lesson of Taunted Kelsey, 13 -- May 21, 2008. -- Barnard Castle, Durham, England, U.K. -- 13-year-old Kelsey Jade Winter hanged herself August 12, 2007 after being teased about her looks by schoolmates. Article web-published by the Northern Echo.

Bullying Death Sparks Task Force -- May 3, 2007. -- Horsham, West Sussex, England, U.K. -- 11-year-old Ben Vodden hanged himself December 12th, 2006 after being bullied for months on his school bus. Article web-published by the BBC. See also May 3rd's Bullying Review After Pupil's Tragic Death, by Ian Morgan for 24Dash.

Media Possibly Fueling Teen Suicides in Japan, -- November 18, 2006. -- Tokyo, Japan. -- At least ten bullied Japanese students have killed themselves recently. Article web-published by the Taipei Times. See also November 11th's Bullying Leads Students in Japan to Suicide, by Shane McLeod for the ABC, and November 10th's Japanese School Pupils Threaten to Kill Themselves Over Bullying, web-published by the Guardian.

Ham Lake Parents Who Lost Son Speak Out Against Bullying -- Oct. 24, 2009. -- Ham Lake, Minnesota, USA. -- Their 12-year-old son, Tom Trosvik, hanged himself February 8th, 2006, after being "mercilessly teased." Article by Heron Marquez Estrada for the Star Tribune.

Funeral for Rail Death Teenager -- February 2, 2006. -- Bridgend, Wales, U.K. -- 15-year-old Jonathan Reynolds threw himself in front of a train. Other students said he had been beaten up and otherwise bullied at school. Article web-published by the BBC.

Community Mourns Teen Killed in Standoff -- January 20, 2006. -- Longwood, Florida, USA. -- A bullied student was shot by police after he aimed a toy gun at a SWAT team member. AP article by Kelli Kennedy, web-published by the Ledger.

Boy's Suicide Prompts Push For New Anti-Bullying Policy -- April 28, 2005. -- Carlsbad, California, USA. -- The local school district is considering an anti-bullying policy in response to the January 2005 death of 12-year-old Matthew Gilman. Article web-published by KGTV.

2 Suicides Linked to Bullying at Sask. School -- January 26, 2005. -- Canora, Alberta, Canada. -- 16-year-old Travis Sleeva killed himself in December, 2004 after being continually bullied by schoolmates. Article web-published by the CBC. See also January 26th's Sask. Town Grieving Over Suicide of Two Teens, web-published by CTV.

Suicide Girl's Parents "Will Sue" -- June 3, 2005. -- Neath, Wales, U.K. -- In September, 2004, 13-year-old Laura Rhodes killed herself after being bullied. Now her parents plan to sue her school. Article web-published by the BBC.

Psychiatrist in McLaughlin Trial Says Movie Claims Exaggerated -- July 26, 2005. -- On September 24th, 2003, then-15-year-old John Jason McLaughlin opened fire at his high school, killing one student and badly wounding another, who later passed away. Article web-published by KARE. See also July 19th's Psychiatrist Says McLaughlin Sees Dead People, web-published by KARE.

Bullies Cited in Suicide... -- December 3, 2004, -- London, Ontario, Canada. -- 15-year-old Joshua Melo killed himself in 2004 after being bullied in school and online. Article by Marissa Nelson and Kelly Pedro for the London Free Press web-published by La Fondation Emergence.

School Tribute to "Bullied" Pupil -- June 6, 2003. -- -- Lynemouth, Northumberland, England, U.K. -- According to his parents, 16-year-old Karl Peart, who killed himself June 1st, 2003, was teased throughout his school career and physically attacked in secondary school. His parents moved 50 miles away to try to give him a new start, but he was bullied again at his new school. The week before his death, he had won a small judgement in a youth court against a boy who had attacked him, and he feared reprisal. Article web-published by the BBC.

Suicide Boy Not Bullied, Says Inquest -- December 17, 2003. -- Wallasey, Merseyside, England, U.K. -- 11-year-old Thomas Thompson, aka Thomas Welsh, who was "extremely clever and loved reading and doing his homework," killed himself July 2nd. According to his mother, he'd been regularly bullied by other students, and had gotten off the school bus the morning of his death to escape from bullies. An inquest, however, found no evidence that the boy had been bullied. Article by Helen Carter for the Guardian.

Teen Killers Feel Trapped by Masculine Stereotypes -- Nov. 11, 2003 -- List of school shooters to date. Op-ed by Jessie Klein for USA Today.

School Shock Over "Bullying Suicide" -- September 11, 2003. -- Perthshire, Scotland, U.K. -- 15-year-old Marianne Shanks hanged herself September 7th. Friends said that she was bullied regularly at school. Article web-published by the BBC.

School Shocked by Second Death -- June 18, 2003. -- Ashington, Northumberland, England, U.K. -- 15-year-old Gemma Dimmick killed herself June 17th. Gemma's sister said Gemma had been bullied at school, although school authorities say that they were unaware of any problems. Gemma attended the same school as 16-year-old Karl Peart (q.v.). Article by Martin Wainwright for the Guardian.

Bullying Claim at Teenager's Inquest -- In November, 2001, 15-year-old Elaine Swift died of a paracetamol (i.e., acetaminophen) overdose. At the inquest, her father said that she had been bullied at school. Article web-published by the BBC. See also November 28th's Bullying Claim After Girl Dies, and Overdose Girl "Wrote of Suicide" both web-published by the BBC.

Family's Verdict on Daughter's Death -- In November, 2001, 13-year-old Morgan Musson killed herself after being bullied by schoolmates. Article web-published by the BBC.

Bullied Girl Planned Her Funeral -- In July 2001, in Bristol, England, 14-year-old Laura Grimes killed herself. She left a cache of letters detailing the bullying she had suffered at school. Article web-published by the BBC. See also the BBC article, Coroner's Anguish Over "Bullying" Death.

Andy Speaks -- On March 5th, 2001, 15-year-old Andy Williams, who'd been being bullied, killed two students and wounded 13 others at Santana High School in Santee, California. He was tried as an adult and sentenced to 50 years to life. His friends and family have created a website about him which includes letters he has written from prison.

Bullying Plea After Victim's Suicide -- Denise Bailie, 14, died of an overdose April 8th, 2000. Her sister attributed her suicide to her having been bullied by a schoolmate. Web-published by the BBC. See also April 17th's NI Bullying Study Follows Suicide , also web-published by the BBC.

Answers Few in ZMS Death -- In March, 2000, 12-year-old Christopher W. Joyner, who had been continually bullied by schoolmates, hanged himself with a jumprope in his school's gymnasium. The local paper, the Zebulon Record, responded with an editorial, Words Hurt, and a follow-up story, Joyner Classmates: I'm Sorry That He's Dead. All three articles are reprinted here with the kind permission of the Record.

On March 11, 2000, 14-year-old Hamed Nastoh jumped from a bridge. He left a note, which said that he had been driven to suicide by incessant bullying, and which urged his mother to work to stop bullying in schools. This is amemorial page for Hamed.

Hanged Choirboy Was Bullied -- 15-year-old Darren Steele hanged himself in March, 1998. According to schoolmates, bullies had repeatedly hit him and burned him with cigarettes. Article web-published by the BBC.

Tormented Teenager Killed Herself -- 13-year-old Kelly Yeomans killed herself in September 1997 after being relentlessly bullied at school. Article web-published by the BBC. See also "Anguish" of Bullied Teenager, also web-published by the BBC.

Mother's Advert to Shame Bullies -- A mother has taken out an anti-bullying ad in a local paper in memory of her son, who committed suicide in 1989 after being bullied. Article web-published by the BBC.

All original material on the Raven Days website, except the material appearing in the sections Words Out of Shadow and Lighting the Way, © 1999-2012 by its creator and maintainer, Meredith Minter Dixon.. Copyright to the articles in the sectionsWords Out of Shadow and Lighting the Way is retained by their authors. Counter: 26169