Angela Miller (2001) and Ashley Shaddox (1998)

March 1 is not the best day to be resident at Echo Glen Children's Center. On the exact same date in 1998 and 2001 two different girls hanged themselves.

1998

14 year Ashley Shaddox had a troubled life. Being raped at age 11 and even being pregnant at that age is an ordeal no child should endure. In some communities it is shameful to be the victim and slowly she was marginalized into a subculture where she hung out with the wrong kind of people.

When some of the youth in this group committed an armed robbery she was left with poor legal support and in a justice system where you have to buy legal protection she had no chance and was sentenced to serve her time at Echo Glen Children's Center. While she was serving her sentence it became clear that she was depressed.

Unfortunately none seem to bother and on March 1 1998 she committed suicide by hanging.

2001

17 year old Angela Miller took her own life rather suddenly to the surprise of her relatives. The family believed that she was safe at the facility.

She was suffering from depression and as a cry for help she had acted out. Instead of recognizing an illness the court system sentenced her for residential-burglary. It did carry a 9 month punishment. She was first send to Naselle Youth Camp where they were not trained to handled sucidial and depressed youth. She tried to kill herself and was transferred to Echo Glen Children's Center. As it turned out they were not trained to deal with this type of clients also.

As result of the state's neglect this young girl died.

Is there a lesson somewhere

Yes. Someone should have learned that depression carries a risk of suicide. Unfortunately these two deaths are not the only one who have taken place at Echo Glen Children's Center. You may search this blog later and a text of the third death we have learned off.

May both girls rest in peace.


Sources:

• An eerie echo (Seattke Weekly)
• Family Files Tort Claim Over Girl's SuicideEugene Register-Guard - March 8, 1998
• Victims in 1990s (Fornits Wiki)
• Victims 2000-2004 (Fornits Wiki)

Geoffrey Alan Vorhies - 1992

It was January 1992 when 13 year old Geoffrey Alan Vorhies realized that he had no options left in the environment he had been left in. No therapy to help him with his problems. There was only one way left in his mind: To end it all.

Little would it be known that his death would be the first of 3 cases so far where teenagers had hanged themselves in custody of this detention center of death.

So much potential was lost. A life spanning only 13 years is hardly a life at all.

A boy in his situation should have gotten help - not punishment. Sadly enough we are now standing here 20 years later and very little have changed.

It is not good enough. Nothing was learned from his death and a lesson in proper handling of boys in his situation should be the least we owe him.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• An eerie echo (Numerous articles about Echo Glen Children's Center)
• Victims in the 1990's (Fornits Wiki)