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Sex offender kills himself

12-30-2009 Tennessee:

Police suspected man of paying girl to perform acts

The probe began last week when the 13-year-old girl darted from a couple of curious police investigators and ran for a Citico Street home.

Knoxville Police Department investigators work at a house where a body was found Tuesday at 429 Citico St. Convicted sex offender Robert G. Foxx, 74, killed himself in the house, according to police.

It ended Tuesday in the same house when police found 74-year-old convicted sex offender Robert Grey Foxx dead on his couch, a plastic bag pulled snug over his head.

Police said Foxx committed suicide.

He had been arrested Dec. 21 after an investigation revealed he started two years ago paying an 11-year-old girl for oral sex at least twice a week.

"I charged him with violation of the sex offender law by having a minor in his employ without adult supervision," said Knoxville Police Department Investigator Debra Nuchols.

She said a more serious charge of child rape could have been brought by a grand jury.

Knox County prosecutors usually opt for a grand jury presentment in order to spare child sex victims from testifying repeatedly in court.

Foxx, Nuchols said, seemed unconcerned about the felony charge.

"He was mainly worried about how he would get bonded out of jail," she said. Foxx was released from jail after posting a $10,000 bond.

Nuchols said the probe began Dec. 21 when KPD property crimes investigators Stan Cash and Clayton Madison saw a 13-year-old girl standing alone along Ailor Avenue. At the time, they were investigating thefts in the area.

"When they yelled out to her, she ran straight to his (Foxx's) house," Nuchols said.

Cash and Madison followed the girl and became suspicious when Foxx acted strangely during their inquiries. They ran Foxx's name through the law enforcement computer system and discovered he was a convicted sex offender. They immediately alerted Nuchols, and the investigation was under way.

Nuchols said Foxx told her he met the girl through her mother. He said he was looking for a house cleaner years ago and accidentally dialed the woman in Lonsdale. Despite the accidental contact, the woman, who has three daughters, agreed to clean Foxx's home, Nuchols said.

The woman, however, opted to discontinue the arrangement because Foxx kept trying to show her pornographic videos at his home.

"Mom said it made her feel uncomfortable so she sent her daughter over there," Nuchols said.

For the next two years, Nuchols said, the then 11-year-old girl would catch a KAT bus in Lonsdale and go to Foxx's house at 429 Citico St.

"She would go over to his house every Tuesday and Thursday and sometimes on Saturday, Nuchols said. "She'd get paid $10 a day."

Each day the girl would spend about two hours at Foxx's residence before returning home on another bus.

Nuchols said Foxx denied any improper contact with the girl. He claimed he was having an affair with the girl's mother.

The girl was reluctant to reveal the relationship when questioned, Nuchols said. The girl contended that for the past two years she had been cataloging the library in his home.

"She was really shy about talking about it," the investigator said. "But once she understood she hadn't done anything wrong and wasn't in trouble, she told us what had happened.

"She said he had made her watch pornography and touched her below the waist ... and finally she admitted he forced her to perform oral sex on him."

Nuchols included the state Department of Children's Services in the probe. That agency now has custody of the 13-year-old girl and her two sisters, ages 12 and 14, Nuchols said.

Nuchols said her probe is not closed just because of Foxx's suicide.

"I'd like to get mom on a polygraph to see what she knew," Nuchols said.

As of Wednesday, no charge has been filed against the girl's mother.

"The girl said she never told her mom about what was going on," Nuchols said.

Foxx was convicted in 1991 of gross sexual imposition with a 15-year-old in Columbus, Ohio, records show. He had obtained a doctorate in psychiatry in Ohio before his conviction, said KPD Deputy Chief Gary Price. Upon his release from prison, he came to Knoxville.

Foxx apparently was a renowned chess player, also. He regularly set up a chess board in the food court of West Town Mall to play youngsters. That practice ended in 2007 after the News Sentinel featured Foxx in a picture in a match with a boy at the mall and police alerted mall security of Foxx's status as a registered sex offender.

"After that, he was no longer welcomed at the mall," Price said.

Price said it appears Foxx had attempted to compose a suicide note, but he had not finished the effort.

"Talking to his daughter, he had been putting his affairs in order," Price said. That discussion helped police conclude that Foxx had opted to commit suicide rather than face another stint in prison. ..Source.. by Don Jacobs

Man commits suicide after impregnating sister

12-19-2009 Zimbabwe

In bizarre incident that has stunned villagers in Zimbabwe's Manicaland province, a man has committed suicide allegedly after impregnating his own sister, The Zim Diaspora can sensationally reveal.

The deceased Farai Mavaraidze (34), of village 8 in Bumba area of Mutambara chief took his own life after learning that his elder sister Chipo Mavaraidze (36) whom he had been engaging in incestual sex was pregnant.

He then committed suicide by drinking rat poison on December 14, police confirmed.

Familiy sources said Farai took his life after his sister insisted that she was not going to abort the pregnancy. An argument ensued with Farai pleading with his pregnant sister to abort to avert community sham and cultural crisis. The sister could not have none of it. it was at this stage that Farai threatened to take his life but Chipo did not take him serious.

According to the statements made by Chipo to Chimanimani District Police Headquarters, their incestuous relationship hadbeen going on for the past two years. She admitted that they had fallen deeply in love like any other normal couple.

The two were staying together as a married couple. Their parents are deceased.

Acting Manicaland Police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Jephrey Mudzemba told the The Zim Diaspora that the deceased's sister Chipo was now in custody assisting police with investigations in a case of incest.

“We are investigating a case of incest in which one of the co accused is deceased after committing while the other partner is assisting police with investigations. We would like to take this opportunity to warn members of the public to desist from engaging in incestuous relationship as they are both illegal and evil,” he said.

A close neighbout Mr Tamuka Kumbula (77) said he had always been suspiscious of the couple's way of life and confirmed that twice he asked them if they were living a sinful life.

“I started to be suspicious when I visited them early in the morning at some day to find Chipo almost naked in his brother’s bedroom. After that I asked Farai if there was anything going on but he denied. The second incident was when my wife met Chipo at the river washing Farai clothes and underwear; again she also denied any incest. Now its open. I am vindicated” said the visibly shaken tailor.

Several villagers who spoke to The ZimDiaspora expressed shock and disgust at the incident.

“ I am really out of words, while on the other hand I am sorry that Farai took his life but I am also relieved that he did, otherwise we could have been cursed. We would have had endless droughts and incurable sicknesses” said Shaina Mangena (80) who is a traditional healer.

According to Zimbabwe laws incest an offence punishable offence with a custodial sentence. If convicted of incest Chipo faces up to two years of imprisonment. ..Source.. by Zim Diaspora reporter

Inmate Commits Suicide Despite Warning from Judge

12-23-2009 Ohio:

CLEVELAND - An inmate kills himself inside the Cuyahoga County jail, even though a judge had ordered him placed on suicide watch.

Last Thursday, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Brendan Sheehan sentenced a 60-year old man to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting his grandchildren. To protect their identities, we are not revealing his name.

"My focus here right now, given the circumstances is my concern for his widow and trying to figure out what happened, what went wrong," said defense attorney Lester Potash.

Judge Sheehan confirmed to Fox 8 that he ordered the man placed on suicide watch while inside the county jail, where he would be held before being transferred to a state prison.

"A suicide watch isn't an everyday occurrence, so there was information presented to the judge that warranted this extra supervision to assure what took place wouldn't have happened," said Potash.

Just after midnight Sunday, deputies discovered that the man had hung himself, and died Monday night. Then, Judge Sheehan learned that the jail had not placed him on suicide watch, as instructed.

"I'm looking forward to the cooperation of the county, and the Sheriff's Department as to what took place, what they knew, what they didn't know, why they didn't do what it was that the judge directed them to do," said Potash.

The Cuyahoga County jail and the company that provides its medical services are already being sued by the family of R-and-B singer Sean Levert. He died in March of 2008 after jail workers refused to give him prescription medication.

Meanwhile, the family of the inmate who killed himself are looking for answers too.

"This is a terrible shock to her, and the concern was that once he was remanded into custody that he would be looked after," said Potash.

The Sheriff's Department would not comment about the incident today, but a spokesman says it is under investigation. ..Source.. by Fox8.com

Autopsy shows man in standoff killed self

12-21-2009 Georgia:

Details are few in the death of a 33-year-old accused child molester in a standoff with police Saturday night.

ST. MARYS - An accused child molester's fatal injuries indicate that he had shot himself to death during a standoff with St. Marys police on Saturday, a crime lab autopsy showed.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting death of 33-year-old Robert Dane at Sugarmill, a mid-range subdivision with hundreds of homes.

The GBI and police have released little information about the standoff and subsequent death, but Sheriff Tommy Gregory said Sunday that the victim died at 6:05 p.m., an hour after St. Marys police arrived at a home on the 100 block of Natures Bounty Trail to serve a bench warrant.

Not so fast on suicide ruling Coroner probes inmate's death at SCI-Coal Twp.

12-20-2009 Pennsylvania:

COAL TOWNSHIP - The death that SCI-Coal Township officials said was a suicide is still under investigation by the Northumberland County Coroner's Office, which says the manner of death is pending the results of that investigation.

On Thursday, David A. Varano, superintendent at the state correctional institution, reported inmate Mark Reeves, 28, committed suicide in his cell Monday night at the prison and was found at approximately 10:30 p.m. by correctional officers making a security check. Reeves, who was housed in the prison's restricted housing unit, was found hanging from a bed sheet, Varano reported through a press release.

It said officers provided emergency first aid until facility medical personnel arrived from the infirmary.

Reeves was transported by AREA Services Ambulance to Shamokin Area Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m. by a hospital doctor.

Jail inmate commits suicide

12-20-2009 Pennsylvania:

Somerset County Jail inmate Roger Most Jr. committed suicide Sunday morning, according to officials.

Most was found dead around 3:25 a.m. The incident is being investigated by county Coroner Wallace Miller and Somerset Borough Police. An autopsy is expected to be performed today, according to county Solicitor Dan Rullo.

Most, 42, Salisbury, was in jail on charges that he sexually assaulted a child, set a Berlin mobile home on fire and physically assaulted emergency medical technicians in September.

Rullo said Most was on a suicide watch when he first arrived in jail in October.

“After an evaluation by a psychiatrist, that was taken off,” Rullo said.

Most was then placed with the jail’s general population and was observed by guards every 30 minutes. Rullo said he was recently placed in a cell by himself for disciplinary reasons.

“He was in his cell alone when this (suicide) occurred,” Rullo said.

On Nov. 23 Most’s attorney, William Carroll, requested a bail reduction to allow Most to obtain mental health counseling. The court agreed, if Most was electronically monitored. Most rejected monitoring and remained in jail.

Most’s charges include statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure and corruption of minors for a Sept. 9 incident in which police say Most engaged in sexual acts with a 9-year-old.

Most is also charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft by unlawful taking, arson, criminal mischief, theft by receiving stolen property and harassment and stalking for an incident in which police say he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home in Movilla Estates in Berlin and set fire to a bed and couch on the morning of Sept. 23.

In the third case, Most is charged with three counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, and one count each of recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, harassment and public drunkenness. Police said that on the evening of Sept. 23, Most fought, kicked or bit EMTs rushing him to Meyersdale Medical Center by ambulance for a possible drug overdose. He is also accused of fighting with emergency room personnel.

The last suicide in the jail occurred in March 2007 when William Cornell hanged himself. ..Source.. by RICK KAZMER

Murfreesboro child abuse suspect commits suicide

12-9-2009 Tennessee:

A newly employed pediatric nurse who was soon to be arrested and charged with child sexual abuse reportedly killed himself Thursday by jumping from a medical office building in Nashville, police reported.

Elliot Lash, 26, of Peachtree Street in Murfreesboro, jumped from the top of his workplace as Murfreesboro Police Detective Tommy Roberts worked to arrest him on sex charges, according to a Murfreesboro Police incident report.

The man's wife reported her husband to police after she found a "disturbing video" on a home laptop, according to a report filed by Roberts.

The video reportedly showed Elliot Lash inappropriately touching a child, whose age was redacted in a police report, according to the police report. The child was shown on the camera naked.

Lash's wife, who admitted she'd had trouble in her marriage for the past six years, had recently moved back to her mother's home when she found the video file on a laptop computer her husband had used.

She contacted police in reference to the video. Less than halfway through the material, Murfreesboro Police Officer Jason Harding knew, "I had watched enough to know that a detective was needed from that point."

Detective Roberts took over the investigation at that point. During his investigation he confiscated three computers belonging to Elliot Lash.

"Investigators found hundreds of images and video on the three computers," said Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans. "They've been sent to the TBI for forensic analysis. Investigators want to see if these are downloaded images or images he may have taken himself."

Roberts later obtained warrants for sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual battery and contacted Lash by phone.

"I asked him to come in and speak with me," Roberts said. "I went by his place of employment, St. Thomas Medical Group, Pediatrics (Dr. Timothy Mangrum) and was told he did not show up for work."

Later that same day, Roberts received a call from Brent Horst, Lash's attorney. Horst told the detective he would tell Lash to turn himself in, but was not sure that he would.

That same night I received a call from Metro Detective Steven Jolly ... (who) stated it appeared Lash had committed suicide by jumping off a building," Roberts reported.

Evans said investigators may, at some point, work in concert with the Metro Nashville Police Department on the case.

"We're looking to see if there are other people involved in the trade of these materials and to see if we can identify more victims, as his tenure in the medical field was always as a pediatric nurse," Evans said. "If the evidence reveals those are pictures he took, we would ask Nashville to get involved in the investigation, since the doctor's office he worked at is located in Nashville."

However, Chief Operating Officer Bill Grayson of Nashville Healthcare Solutions, said Lash had only worked for St. Thomas Medical Group for "six days" and had very little access to patients of Mangrum.

The medical group is not owned or operated by Saint Thomas Health Services, which owns Saint Thomas Hospital and Middle Tennessee Medical Center. The medical group's office building is attached to Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville and doctors with the medical group have privileges to practice at the hospital.

"To the best of our knowledge, he was never alone and never unsupervised in a patient room," Grayson said. "We hope that ... quashes any nervousness about anyone thinking he committed any impropriety here."

Grayson added that the medical practice hired Lash because he had no marks on his criminal background, he passed a drug screen and he had good references.

"His (criminal) background was completely negative (for any charges)," Grayson said.

A statement released by Grayson on behalf of St. Thomas Medical Group says: "We are saddened to acknowledge the tragic death of one of our employees on December 3, 2009. Elliot Lash was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and had dedicated his life to nursing.

"Mr. Lash became an employee of (the St. Thomas Medical Group) on November 23, 2009, was still in training, and in the short time we knew him was a very personable co-worker," the release reads. "This tragic incident has been a shock for our staff and our patients, and we wish Mr. Lash's family and friends solemn condolences at this difficult time."

Kristen Helm with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said she could not comment on any evidence being processed by the TBI. ..Source.. by MARK BELL • GANNETT TENNESSEE

Registered Sex Offender Dead in Jail

12-16-2009 Virginia:

FAIRFAX, Va. - A 44-year-old convicted sex offender is dead after police say he committed suicide in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Paul Antonio Calvan was caught at Fair Oaks Mall allegedly using a video camera stuffed inside a shopping bag to videotape a 20-year old-woman in a dressing room at Victoria's Secret last Friday night.

"She sees him," Fairfax county police officer Bud Walker tells Fox 5 News, "catches him doing this, and chases him out of the store and then calls police."

The man got away, but Officer Walker says Calvan came back the very next day and with camera in bag went to the Express store right across from Victoria's Secret.

"At this point," Walker says, "folks who were involved in Friday night's incident alerted some of our plain-clothes officers who were located in the mall, and that's when they intercepted him as he attempted to leave the mall."

Calvan was arrested and taken to the jail. Just after midnight Monday, police say Calvan was found with a bed sheet wrapped around his neck and tied to the jail cell door. He died at a hospital 22 hours later.

Calvan was arrested at Fair Oaks Mall 12 years to the day after being convicted of aggravated sexual battery, a crime his neighbors say involved a young girl.

Calvan was a registered sex offender on probation and unemployed at the time of his death. He lived with his father in Arlington County. A neighbor says Calvan got out of prison about a year ago.

"It's kind of a sad ending to this story," next door neighbor Chad Ciri told us. "Would have liked to have seen him be able to work his way out of such things but, such is life."

Police say they are certain Calvan's death is a suicide. ..Source.. by Bob Barnard

Armed Robbery Suspect Found Hanged in Jail Cell

12-15-2009 Oklahoma:

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An armed robbery suspect arrested in the middle of traffic last week was found dead in his jail cell Saturday.

The arrest of 27-year-old DeAngelo Potts was all caught on tape by a dash cam. The police officer held Potts in his car until help arrived.

Potts was then booked into the Oklahoma County jail.

But being locked up and facing a long list of charges proved too much for the convicted felon and registered sex offender.

Potts was found hanging by a sheet from the top bunk of his cell about 3 a.m. Saturday and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Sheriff's office spokesman Mark Myers says Potts was alone in the cell and apparently committed suicide. ..Source.. by NewsOn6.com

Condemned Dahlonega murderer dies

12-8-2009 Georgia:

Pruitt died after hanging himself weeks ago

A man awaiting execution for the 1992 rape and murder of a 10-year-old Lumpkin County girl has died after hanging himself.

Timothy Woodrow Pruitt, 43, died Sunday at a medical prison in Augusta, several weeks after he tried to hang himself with a bed sheet while on death row, Lumpkin County District Attorney Stan Gunter confirmed Tuesday.

Pruitt was sentenced to death by a Cherokee County jury in 1996 for the April 10, 1992, murder of Wendy Nicole Vincent. The trial was moved out of Lumpkin County due to pretrial publicity.

According to court records, Pruitt, whose ex-wife lived next door to the girl, snuck into Vincent’s trailer home late at night while her mother was away. He raped the girl, then stabbed her and cut her throat. DNA evidence at the scene connected Pruitt to the crime.

Pruitt had been at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification prison in Jackson – the home of the state’s death row – until he unsuccessfully tried to hang himself. He died from complications from the suicide attempt Sunday, Gunter said.

Pruitt was nearing the final stages of his federal appeals, said Russ Willard, a spokesman for the Georgia Attorney General’s office, which handles post-conviction appeals in death penalty cases.

Pruitt’s attorneys filed a federal habeus petition Nov. 23, Willard said. The petition would likely have gone to the U.S. District Court, then the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Following that, if Pruitt’s appeals were denied, an execution date would have been set.

Willard said the family of Pruitt’s victim was notified Monday of his death. ..Source.. by Stephen Gurr

Suspect Emerges in Child Killer Case

12-7-2009 Michigan:

After 33 years, a possible suspect is emerging in the Oakland County Child Killer case.

Could Christopher Brian Busch be the Oakland County Child Killer? He died in 1978, and most of his family members have passed away. So relatives of the victims want to know what’s taking so long for police to finish investigating Busch.

[Barry King/Father of Timmy King] “I can accept Timmy being dead. I can’t accept anyone having him for six days, and keeping him away from his family and torturing him.”

Barry King’s 11-year-old son, Timmy, was the last victim of the Oakland County Child Killer. Between 1976 and 1977, four children were abducted and murdered.

Christopher Busch was polygraphed and cleared by the original child killer task force in the 70s. But a chance meeting by two men (who were neither suspects nor family members of the victims), 2,000 miles from Detroit, helped bring Busch's name to the top of the list of potential suspects.

Sex offender shot in Nipomo

12-2-2009 California:


A registered sex offender, Michael John Dominguez, died of a gun shot wound earlier today, less than a day after being arrested for sex crimes against a 16-year-old.

Dominguez, 52, is suspected of committing suicide after being arrested for allegedly molesting the victim over a two year period of time that began when the child was 14 years old.

“The preliminary investigation leads us to believe the gun shot was self inflicted,” said Brian Hascall, San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department Commander, in a press release.

Dominguez posted $250,000 bail and was released at 11:33 p.m. on Tuesday. He was found dead at his 1335 La Loma Drive home in Nipomo earlier today.

Dominquez operated Shine It Auto Detail in Oceano. He had previously been convicted of committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, according to Megan’s List. ..Source.. by Cal Coast News.com

‘Sexting’ bullying cited in teen’s suicide

12-2-2009 Florida:

13-year-old Hope Witsell hanged herself after topless photos circulated

Hope Witsell was just beginning the journey from child to teen. The middle-school student had a tight-knit group of friends, the requisite poster of “Twilight” heartthrob Robert Pattinson and big plans to become a landscaper when she grew up.

But one impetuous move robbed Hope of her childhood, and eventually, her life. The 13-year-old Florida girl sent a topless photo of herself to a boy in hope of gaining his attention. Instead, she got the attention of her school, as well as the high school nearby.

The incessant bullying by classmates that followed when the photo spread put an emotional weight upon Hope that she ultimately could not bear.

Hope Witsell hanged herself in her bedroom 11 weeks ago.

Her death is only the second known case of a suicide linked to bullying after “sexting” — the practice of transmitting sexual messages or images electronically. In March, 18-year-old Jesse Logan killed herself in the face of a barrage of taunts when an ex-boyfriend forwarded explicit photos of her following their split.

Hope Witsell’s grieving mother, Donna Witsell, is now coming forward to offer a cautionary story in hope of sparing others the loss she endures. Appearing on TODAY Wednesday with attorney Parry Aftab, a leading Internet safety expert, Witsell told Meredith Vieira how her daughter’s life, once so promising, unraveled after one mistake.

The Witsells, from the small rural suburb of Sundance, Fla., are a churchgoing family. Donna admitted to Vieira she knew little to nothing about “sexting” before her daughter’s drama, but she and her husband, Charlie, tried to teach Hope and Donna’s three children from previous relationships right from wrong in the cyberworld.

“As far as training them on the Internet and what to look at and what not to look at, yeah, we talked about it,” Witsell told Vieira.

But Hope got involved in a dangerous, all-too-typical teen game. In June, at the end of her seventh-grade year at Beth Shields Middle School, she sent a picture of her exposed breasts to a boy she liked. It’s an act that is becoming more and more commonplace among teens (a poll recently showed some 20 percent of teens admitting they’ve sent nude pictures of themselves over cell phones).

But a third party intercepted the photo while using the boy’s cell phone, and soon, not only had many of the school's students gawked at the picture, but students at the local high school and even neighboring schools were ogling it.

While Hope’s photo spread, her friends rallied around her in the midst of incessant taunting and vulgar remarks thrown Hope’s way. Friends told the St. Petersburg Times, which originally chronicled Hope’s story, that they literally surrounded Hope as she walked the hallways while other students shouted “whore” and “slut” at her.

“The hallways were not fun at that time — she’d walk into class and somebody would say, ‘Oh, here comes the slut,’ ” Hope’s friend, Lane James, told the newspaper.

Clearly, the taunts were getting to Hope. In a journal entry discovered after her death, Hope wrote, “Tons of people talk about me behind my back and I hate it because they call me a whore! And I can’t be a whore. I’m too inexperienced. So secretly, TONS of people hate me.”

Shortly after the school year ended, school officials caught wind of the hubbub surrounding Hope’s cell phone photo. They contacted the Witsells and told them Hope would be suspended for the first week of the next school year.

Donna Witsell told Vieira that she and her husband practiced tough love on Hope, grounding her for the summer and suspending her cell phone and computer privileges.

Choking up with tears, Witsell told Vieira, “She received her punishment for a mistake she’d made. You set rules and boundaries in the household ... You punish them and then you let it go. You love them. You continue to talk with them, you continue to try to keep that line of communication open, but most of all you continue to love them. You don’t shame them.”

Still, Hope had a very trying summer. A student adviser for the local Future Farmers of America chapter, Hope was allowed by her parents to attend the FFA convention in Orlando. But in a display of just how prevalent teen pressure is when it comes to “sexting,” Hope gave in to incessant badgering from a group of boys staying across from Hope and her friend in a hotel room to provide them with a picture of her breasts.

Mounting pressure

The downward spiral of Hope’s life was unstoppable. When she returned to school this fall after serving her suspension, the school informed her she could no longer serve as a student adviser to the FFA. She finally admitted to her parents the abuse she was taking.

On Sept. 11, Hope met with school counselors, who noticed cuts on Hope’s leg they believed to be self-inflicted. They had her sign a “no-harm contract,” in which she promised to talk to an adult if she felt the urge to hurt herself. But, attorney Aftab told TODAY, the school didn’t inform Hope’s parents of the contract. “In this case, the school blew it,” Aftab said. “They never told the parents how at risk she was.”

The following day, Hope wrote in her journal: “I’m done for sure now. I can feel it in my stomach. I’m going to try and strangle myself. I hope it works.”

Donna Witsell went to Hope’s bedroom to give her a kiss goodnight. She was met with the most horrifying scene any parent could face.

“It was as if she was standing right there in front of me,” Witsell told NBC News. “Her head was hanging down. I said, ‘Hope, what are you doing?’ And then I realized there was a scarf around her neck.”

Hope had knotted one end of a pink scarf around the canopy of her bed and the other around her neck. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Attorney Aftab is at the forefront of highlighting the very real dangers of “sexting” among the teen set. And even though Hope was incredibly young for sexual behavior, a Harris Poll shows up to 9 percent of 13-year-old girls admit they have sent nude pictures of themselves on cell phones.

Aftab, who held Donna Witsell’s hand throughout the trying TODAY interview, told Vieira it’s often upstanding children growing up in good homes who have the biggest propensity to feel guilt over their sexual actions, and most feel the stings of the bullying that comes afterward.

“Good kids are the ones this is happening to; Jesse was a great kid, and now we have Hope,” she said. “Good kids; they’re the ones who are committing suicide when a picture like this gets out.” ..Source.. by Michael Inbar, TODAYShow.com contributor