Chloe Cohen - 2002

15 minutes was all it took for 16-year-old Chloe Cohen to hang herself. It was an unspeakable tragedy.

It is difficult to determine whether the employees should have monitored her more carefully. Were there signs that suggested that she should not have been left alone which were ignored? The lawsuit seems to suggest that which KidsPeace lawyered themselves out of. Of course KidsPeace is a for-profit business but we have not been able to find sources which suggest that her death were due to too low staffing. The employees simply made their own diagnose deciding that the poor girl was not suicidal which sadly was proved wrong, but such diagnoses and mistakes are made every day.

What is left is that is was a terrible loss for her family and friends. May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• New York Girl, 16, Kills Self At Kidspeace, Coroner Says (The Morning Call)
• MALEKA COHEN, Administratrix of the Estate of Chloe Cohen, et al.,Plaintiffs, v. KIDS PEACE NATIONAL CENTERS, INC., et al. Defendants.

LaTasha Bush - 2002

15-year-old LaTasha Bush was one of several teenagers who died at Daystar Residential Treatment Center. She was restrained by adults and as it so often happens when adults do this with little or poor training that child dies due to not being able to breath properly.

An investigation should have brought an end to the methods this place used but sadly more deaths were required before the politicians got the authorities to look at the methods used.

May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• TEEN DIES AT RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY (ABC 13 news)
• Closure of center for troubled kids follows years of woes (HOUSTON CHRONICLE)
• And it gets worse ... (Moral-highground blog)

Matthew Goodman - 2002

14-year-old Matthew Goodman suffered from autism. It should be an illness he should be able to live with for many years. Instead due to the methods used at Bancroft NeuroHealth's "The Lindens" which was a residential treatment facility, he died when he was restrained by the employees in a way which hurt him.

The death was followed by other troubles with the treatment facility and in the end the facility promised to look at their methods.

For Matthew Goodman it was too late. May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• Boy's death puts spotlight on restraints (Billings Gazette)
• Institution Agrees To Changes Following Matthew Goodman Death (Inclusion Daily Express)
• Mother Sues Institution And Hospital Over Matthew Goodman's Death (Inclusion Daily Express)
• Placements halted at Haddonfield residence Officials say Bancroft NeuroHealth failed a fire drill. The center has been under scrutiny since a young resident's February death. (Philadelphia Media Network, PBC)

Katherine M. Lank - 2002

16 year old Katherine Lank was hicking with her group from Red Rock Ranch Academy when she fell down into a ravine and injured her head. She suffered for weeks at a hospital before dying. Many years have passed since but the danger of using hiking in connection with treatment of teenagers from the cities still exist. We don't know what prompted her stay at this ranch which closed not long after properly due to lawsuits but both she and her family would properly have preferred to be together instead of her dying alone and her family greaving at home without the possibility to do something.

Life in the program was strict and as punishment they were ordered to shit on a chair all day long looking at the wall. It was called "Poltergeist".

If only residential programs had envolved since 2002 but sadly they are not.

16 years is not much to be allowed on this earth. May she find peace where she is now.

Source:

• Utah wilderness therapy deaths (Salt Lake Tribune)
• LANK V. RED ROCK CANYON SCHOOL (casetext.com)

Unknown - 2002

Years have gone by but today 14 years ago an unnamed 15-year-old girl died while she was forced to attend the now closed infamous Catherine Freer Wilderness program. It is was the second death that year at this program and one out of 3 death while the program was operating, which made it one of the most deadliest wilderness programs to attend.

The founder closed the program years later without warning so the employees and students at a boarding school the owner also ran was caught by surprise. Everything was really for profit and had nothing to do with the woman the program was named after. The owner just happens to know her.

It is very sad that this girl remains unnamed because it wasn't her fault that she was thrown into this dangerous enterprise. Based on what marketing material looked like and the little knowledge about the real danger of wilderness programs, it wasn't the fault of her parents either.

It was a tragedy waiting to happen but who could have prevented it? None.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• Staff list (HEAL-online)
• Factsheet about the program (Fornits Wiki)
• Wilderness therapy school closes abruptly (Albany Democrat Herald)

Charles William Chase Moody - 2002

17-year-old Charles Moody was sent to the wilderness program named "On Track Wilderness". During the hike the counselors decided to restrain him and that caused his death burried live under a pile of counselors without being able the breathe properly.

His death was only one out of many death which occured in similar matter.

The Brown Schools which operated the wilderness program closed only a few years later. Lawsuits were taking their toll on the organization.

However the closure of both wilderness program and the schools came too late for Charles Moody. May he find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• When discipline turns fatal (American Statesman - Project Nospank)
• A Father's quest (NBC Dateline)
• 358. On Track Wilderness Program (1000 places You don't want to be as a teenager)

Maria Mendoza - 2002

The type of restraint method used on 14-year-old Maria Mendoza has been shown to be deadly. It was known before she died but training of the employees were not good enough and that caused her untimely tragic death. The restraint was investigated and later ruled a homicide by the Harris County medical examiner's office.

The facility later changed their approach but it was too late for poor Maria.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• Girl's restraint death is ruled a homicide (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
• Krause: Common restraint used on girl who suffocated (Your Houston News))

Ian August - 2002

The tragic death of 14-year-old Ian August showed the state of Utah exactly what was needed in light of oversight of the wilderness industry.

But despite this oversight is still needed. Teenagers continue to die in residential programs in Utah. The tragic death also showed exactly how corporate lack of responsibility works. The owners continued in the business under new names. The employees just moved on to the next program working exactly the same.

For his family his death was tragic and a loss they properly forever would be affected by. That makes it extra senseless that none never really was brought to justice for his death.

May he find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• Boy, 14, Dies On Camp Hike In Utah Heat (The New York Times)
• A Deadly Path (Salt Like Tribune)
• http://www.lonsberry.com/readcomments.cfm?story=945 (Bob Lonsberry)
• 433. Distant Drums Beginnings (1000 places You don't want to be as a teenager)

Kiley Michelle Jaquays - 2002

Integrity House - later known for a sex scandal - took the girls for an outing back in 2002. The location for the outing was not chosen very well because the local authorities (Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith) described the area as dangerous. Kiley Michelle Jaquays died when she fell from a ledge.

It is not known why the employees made the choice of allowing students to go to a place where only professional rock climbers have business going.

For the family it must have been a terrible loss.

May she find peace where she is now.


Souces:

• Teen girl dies in fall from ledge (Deseret News)
• Kiley Michelle Jaquays (The Herald News)
• Victims 2000 - 2004 (Fornits Wiki)
• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)

Victoria Petersilka - 2002

When 14 year old Victoria Petersilka was found hanging from a fire sprinkler head at Maryville Academy for Girls it prompted an investigation.

The investigation concluded that it was a suicide. Months later a 11 year old girl was assaulted by two boys and it wasn't reported for days. Something was very wrong at this facility which had been in operation since 1883.

The mixture of children referred to the Academy was different that it used to be.

The supervision of the children was lacking and what took place before she was found remains unclear.

Afterwards the Academy was restructured and a new management as well as a new client group was targeted.

Still the shadow of a girl reaching out for help who was so grusome failed will forver overshadow the Maryville Academy for Girls.

Her life ended when it was just about to start.

Victoria Petersilka born 1987 - died 2002. Rest in peace.

Sources:

• Vickie `always wanted' a home (By David Heinzmann and Ofelia Casillas, Chicago Tribune, September 27, 2002)
• Victims 2000-4 (Fornits wiki)
• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)

Erica Harvey - 2002

15 year old Erica Harvey cooked to death in the wilderness. Despite the fact that the wilderness program marketed themselves as professionals they didn't take into account that the body temperature can change very fast on a medicated person in the harsh wilderness conditions.

Her parents sought help by professionals. They didn't get that. Instead they got their daughter killed by amateurs.

Many years later her mother came forward expressing a hope that the tragedy the loss of her daughter meant her for should not repeat itself for another family. Sadly it was not the case.

Sources:
Deaths 2000-4, Fornits Wiki Database
Losing Erica: Cynthia Clark Harvey Doesn't Want Anyone Else's Child to Die in a Wilderness-Therapy Program Phoenix New Times, November 5 2009

Jeremy Gaulin - 2002

When you let two teenagers share room at a treatment facility it is important that they match.

The murderer in this case did suffer from Asperger's syndrome. It calls for a very structured days if you want to avoid panic attacks which can develop into assault on staff and other patients.

Poor Mr. Gaulin did suffer from attention deficit disorder which results in a behavior which is unstructured, inability to focus and to keep to a routine.

Mr. Gaulin could unknowingly have provoked the attack by just being himself. It is a stern warning for those residential treatment facilities which are willing to take all kind of problems in. They must see to that patients who have illnesses where they cannot deal with other persons, can be offered a one person room, so they don't start fighting other patients.

It was by no mean any fault by Mr. Gaulin that he was placed in a room where he could risk an attack while dealing with his illness. It was a fault the facility made.

The murderer had a parole hearing in 2009. He was denied parole. Hopefully they continued his treatment in jail, so he knows what he is serving time for.

References:
Victims 2000- 2004 (Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora Wiki)
WINDOW TEEN FACES SLAY RAP (by William J. Gorta and Leah Haines, New York Post, October 10, 2002)
New York: Upper Nyack: Student Charged In Fatal Plunge (By Lisa W. Foderaro, New York Times, October 10, 2002)