Investigation into 12-year-old’s death reveals wilderness camp uncooperative, being processed as manslaughter.
Posted by
Qale (aka Qale)
Feb 12 '24, 19:48
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BREVARD, N.C. (WBTV) – Search warrants executed by the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office are shedding new details into the death of a 12-year-old boy at a North Carolina wilderness camp.
The boy was found dead on the morning of Saturday, February 3, the camp said in a statement.
The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office executed two search warrants as part of its investigation into the death. Affidavits filed with the warrants detail what first responders saw when they arrived on scene.
The warrants also provide new details to support claims by the sheriff’s office that staff at Trails Carolina was not cooperating with the investigation.
According to the warrant, the boy was laying on a mat on the floor of a bunk house.
“The body was in Rigor Mortis at this time and was cold to the touch,” the warrant said.
“CJH was laying on his back with his arms on his chest and his knees bent upwards toward the sky.”
According to the warrant, the boy was wearing a hoodie and t-shirt but his pants and underwear were laying next to his shoulder. The warrant said none of the staff interviewed by detectives could explain how his pants and underwear were taken off and ended up next to his shoulder.
“Once they rolled the body, CJH began to foam at the mouth, which could’ve indicated that he ingested some sort of poison.”
The warrant details an interview with a staff member who was assigned to watch the boy, who had just arrived at the camp.
According to the warrant, the staff member said the boy experienced a panic attack between 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m.
“Him and another counselor stood along the wall while CJD was experience (sic) panic and high anxiety,” the warrant said.
According to the warrant, the staff member told detectives that the boy was checked on at 12:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. before he was found dead at 7:45 a.m.
Detectives were blocked from seeing the other children that were in the bunk house at the time the boy died, according to the warrant.
“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 (sic), or any other information as well.”
The warrant said Trails Carolina staff also blocked social workers with the Transylvania County Department of Social Services.
“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.”
Court records show deputies were ultimately able to confiscate notebooks with each of the four other children’s names on them. Records show deputies also seized electronic devices at the camp and other items.
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