New details have emerged in what authorities are calling a “suspicious” death of a 12-year-old boy at a North Carolina wilderness therapy camp for troubled teens.
The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office executed two search warrants as part of its investigation into the boy’s death at Trails Carolina less than 24 hours after he enrolled. The warrants include affidavits revealing the shocking scene first responders encountered when they arrived Feb. 2.
When responders arrived at the camp, the boy was lying face up in a CPR mask on the floor of a bunk house. His knees were bent, his arms were on his chest and his body was “cold to the touch,” the warrant stated. He was wearing a hoodie and T-shirt, but his pants and underwear lay next to his shoulder. Detectives also noted discoloration of the boy’s skin and possible bruising near the eyes.
Camp counselors told detectives they didn’t know why the boy wasn’t wearing pants or underwear.
“Once they rolled the body, [the boy] began to foam at the mouth, which could’ve indicated that he had ingested some sort of poison,” the document explained.
Authorities said a camp staffer assigned to watch the boy described him in an interview as being “loud and irate.”
Between 12 a.m. and 12:30 a.m., on Feb. 2, the boy experienced a panic attack as two counselors “stood along a wall,” according to authorities’ interviews with camp staff members. Counselors told detectives they also checked on the boy at 3 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. before finding him dead around 7:45 a.m.
Authorities sought to speak with other children present around the time of the boy’s death, but Trails Carolina declined to let detectives see them.
“Trails Carolina staff refused to allow us to speak with any juveniles on sight as well as see them,” the warrant said. “They also refused to give out any of the juveniles’ names or date of births, or any other information as well.”
The warrant stated that social workers were likewise turned away when trying to speak with the children who could hold crucial information as to how the boy died.
“DSS was provided with first names of the juveniles but nothing else. When they attempted to ascertain the whereabouts of these juveniles, they refused to disclose the locations of them.”
The FBI is assisting the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation, a spokeswoman confirmed to WBTV. The case is being investigated as possible manslaughter.
A Trails Carolina spokesperson told Fox News Digital the organization is aware of the warrant.
“The search warrant document contains misleading statements; there are details we will not address at this time out of respect for the family and the investigation that is still underway. Children were moved from the area to protect them from seeing what was happening, not to avoid investigators,” the spokesperson said. “We are a mental health facility treating children with severe, complex mental health diagnoses. Not moving children from the area would have harmed their mental well-being.”
“Trails and all related personnel have not been charged with any crimes. Knowing the truth about what caused the loss of this young boy’s life is what matters, and we eagerly await the report by the chief medical examiner,” the spokesperson said.
Read the full story here.
