Valerie Ann Heron - 2001

The death of 17-year-old Valerie Ann Heron is published on this blog because we do have no knowledge about a blog where we can list the names of children died at boarding school or in residential care in Jamaica. Valerie Ann Heron was an American citizen who found herself at Tranquility Bay in the western part of Jamaica. Here without special supervision from the local authorities who only seemed concerned about the possibility of jobs for locals regardless of they were qualified or job as long as they could fight, an Utah based organization known at that time as World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools had established what was something between a boarding school, a treatment center and a boot camp.

It was a place good for nothing serving only the purpose of easy money for the owners who let low-paid unqualified employees handle teenagers who for many of them needed proper treatment for mental illnesses like depression.

Valerie Ann Heron died on her second day after her arrival. She either fell or was pushed from the second store. A coded letter which could have been a suicide note was destroyed by the employees. Perhaps there was an explanation for her act if it was a suicide. The investigation conducted by the authorities seems to a single report only. No interviews with the entire student population was conducted. No re-construction of the event in order to determine if it really was a suicide. Nothing. Some of her belongings were given to new students after her death so they could save money.

The facility closed year later after the Jewish society in New York saved one of their teenager in a very public rescue attempt and stricter passport regulation put an end to the massive number of teenagers being sent there. Today the facility is empty and perhaps even haunted. Maybe it is the spirit of poor Valerie Ann Heron who was only allowed 17 years in this world before the cruel act of sending her to Jamaica brought an end to her life.

May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• ANT YOUR KID TO DISAPPEAR? (Legal Affairs)
• Rough Love1 (Miami New Times)
• Teen drug rehabs in Utah -without LDS focus? (Recovery from Mormonism (RfM) discussion forum.)