Death of 12-Year-Old Boy at North Carolina Wilderness Therapy Camp Ruled Homicide
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The death of a 12-year-old boy on his first night at a North Carolina wilderness therapy camp has been ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report released on Monday. The boy was found dead in February at Trails Carolina, a self-described “therapeutic wilderness program” part of the troubled teen industry.
The autopsy report obtained by HuffPost revealed that the boy’s cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering. The manner of death was determined to be a homicide. This tragic incident has brought renewed scrutiny to Trails Carolina and similar facilities that have faced allegations of abuse and negligence for decades.
According to the report, the boy was escorted to the camp by two men on February 2 and processed for check-in. During check-in, the boy refused to cooperate until he spoke to his parents in New York and did not eat supper that night. He spent his first night in a bivy tent in a mummy sleeping bag with a zipper alarm attached.
The boy’s counselor told detectives that he was “restless and mumbling in his sleep” around 10 p.m. He was taken out of the sleeping bag but fell back asleep, only to wake up again by midnight, thrashing about. By morning, counselors found him “cold to the touch and unresponsive.”
Transylvania County sheriff’s deputies reported that camp officials did not immediately cooperate with the investigation, an allegation that camp officials have denied. Staff members assigned to the cabin where the boy was found dead have been placed on leave.
In May, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services permanently shut down Trails Carolina, citing that the facility “endangered the health, safety, and welfare of clients.” No criminal charges have been filed since the autopsy’s release. The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office is reviewing the report as part of its ongoing investigation and is meeting with the district attorney.
Meg Applegate, CEO and co-founder of Unsilenced, a nonprofit advocating for victims of institutional child abuse, called the findings “heartbreaking and infuriating.” In an email to HuffPost, she said, “It further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the troubled teen industry and is a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in these facilities.” Unsilenced is calling for state authorities to take immediate action and “demand justice for this young boy and his family.”
Trails Carolina has a troubling history. In 2014, Alec Lansing, a 17-year-old from Atlanta, was found dead in a stream in western North Carolina after running away from the camp. He died of hypothermia. Additionally, a 14-year-old girl reported being sexually assaulted by another camper in 2019. When she brought up the incident to camp officials, they denied her request to move to another cabin. This lawsuit remains ongoing.
The death of the 12-year-old boy is the latest in a series of tragedies associated with wilderness therapy camps, which operate with little oversight. The tragic loss of this young boy underscores the critical need for systemic changes and stricter regulations to protect vulnerable children placed in these programs.
As the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation, the community and advocacy groups await justice for the young boy and hope for significant reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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The autopsy report obtained by HuffPost revealed that the boy’s cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering. The manner of death was determined to be a homicide. This tragic incident has brought renewed scrutiny to Trails Carolina and similar facilities that have faced allegations of abuse and negligence for decades.
According to the report, the boy was escorted to the camp by two men on February 2 and processed for check-in. During check-in, the boy refused to cooperate until he spoke to his parents in New York and did not eat supper that night. He spent his first night in a bivy tent in a mummy sleeping bag with a zipper alarm attached.
The boy’s counselor told detectives that he was “restless and mumbling in his sleep” around 10 p.m. He was taken out of the sleeping bag but fell back asleep, only to wake up again by midnight, thrashing about. By morning, counselors found him “cold to the touch and unresponsive.”
Transylvania County sheriff’s deputies reported that camp officials did not immediately cooperate with the investigation, an allegation that camp officials have denied. Staff members assigned to the cabin where the boy was found dead have been placed on leave.
In May, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services permanently shut down Trails Carolina, citing that the facility “endangered the health, safety, and welfare of clients.” No criminal charges have been filed since the autopsy’s release. The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office is reviewing the report as part of its ongoing investigation and is meeting with the district attorney.
Meg Applegate, CEO and co-founder of Unsilenced, a nonprofit advocating for victims of institutional child abuse, called the findings “heartbreaking and infuriating.” In an email to HuffPost, she said, “It further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the troubled teen industry and is a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in these facilities.” Unsilenced is calling for state authorities to take immediate action and “demand justice for this young boy and his family.”
Trails Carolina has a troubling history. In 2014, Alec Lansing, a 17-year-old from Atlanta, was found dead in a stream in western North Carolina after running away from the camp. He died of hypothermia. Additionally, a 14-year-old girl reported being sexually assaulted by another camper in 2019. When she brought up the incident to camp officials, they denied her request to move to another cabin. This lawsuit remains ongoing.
The death of the 12-year-old boy is the latest in a series of tragedies associated with wilderness therapy camps, which operate with little oversight. The tragic loss of this young boy underscores the critical need for systemic changes and stricter regulations to protect vulnerable children placed in these programs.
As the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation, the community and advocacy groups await justice for the young boy and hope for significant reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
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