Coroner rules death was from suicide
By Jane Beathard
Staff Writer
Administrators at London City Schools are cooperating with local law enforcement to investigate the death of 11-year-old Hailey Petee.
The fifth-grade student at London Elementary School was found dead in her home early Sunday — the apparent victim of a suicide.
“We’re investigating all aspects of the incident,” said London Police Chief Dave Wiseman. “We want to know what actually happened.”
On Monday, Wiseman did get confirmation from Madison County Coroner James Kaehr, M.D., that the cause of Petee’s death was suicide.
On Sunday, officers searched the student’s school desk, looking for clues about her mental state and conduct.
In broadcast reports, parents Melinda Groce and David Petee said their daughter hung herself after months of bullying by her peers. Petee suffered from attention deficit disorder and wore glasses, they said.
In the meantime, a telecommunications harassment case is pending in Madison County Municipal Court against London resident Alexis K. Zacharias, 40, who is accused of threatening the 11-year-old girl’s mother last fall via Facebook.
Zacharias pleaded not guilty to the charge and is awaiting a March 4 trial. Repeated attempts by The Madison Press to contact Zacharias for comment were not successful.
Zacharias also was charged with disorderly conduct against the 11-year-old girl. That charge was dismissed.
Madison County EMA Director Roger Roberts and counselors were in LES Monday morning to assist grieving students and staff members.
Superintendent Tom Ben said the district is mourning the tragic loss of life.
“As a faculty, we extend our sympathy to Hailey’s family and friends. We respect the privacy of the family during this time of bereavement and will refrain from any additional comments,” Ben said.
Suicides of girls younger than 14 are extremely rare in the United States, said Julie Cerel, a psychologist and suicide bereavement expert with the University of Kentucky.
In 2010, 274 children in that age bracket committed suicide. Only 87 were girls. However, Cerel noted the number increased in recent years.
Cerel said bullying alone will not lead a child to commit suicide. Family problems and mental illness are contributing factors. Add a stressor such as a family death or interaction with the juvenile court system and a child may act impulsively.
“Child suicides involve impulsivity most of the time,” Cerel said. “They don’t think it through at the moment.”
Parents should talk to their children about suicide. Avoiding a conversation is the wrong approach, Cerel stressed.
“Kids are already hearing about suicide (from friends and the media),” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask them if they are thinking about it.”
At highest risk of considering suicide are siblings of a victim.
Classmates are also at risk, but not those closest to the victim. Close friends see and suffer the havoc caused by a suicide and are less-likely to mimic that behavior as a result, Cerel said.
“It’s the ‘marginal’ kids that are of greater concern,” she added.
(We have listened to your concern and have deleted the link to the 911 audio)
So sad for this little girl. She deserved so much more from everyone in her life. Everything and everyone is so different from when my kids were growing up a generation ago (I now have grandchildren her age).
There is no way I would put my child in public schools today. I know people think they have no choice, but we make choices all the time. We just tend to choose the easy way. Today, there are many options and all parents should consider the alternatives. If I could not afford private school, I would home-school. If I did not feel qualified to home-school, I would use the online K-12 system to facilitate it. We would have one car, forgo vacations, and eat rice and beans 4 nights out of 5 if need be so one of us could stay home and do this.
There is nothing, no thing out there you might wear, drive, or place you might eat or visit, or entertainment you might seek after, that is worth your child being thrown into a viper pit each and every day for six or more hours (including the bus ride). I do not doubt that teachers intend to make it a safe and pleasant learning experience, but that clearly is not happening for many children. My grandchildren are, fortunately, all in one or another of the alternative situations I described, but we hear stories from kids in our church of bullying and teachers/staff unable to remedy the situations. If you think your child is in misery, or in peril, you have to step up to do what is right for your child and make the changes in your lives that must be made to make that possible.
So quick to blame the schools. Yes, London School System is a hot mess, but most are. So what? Maybe if more of you took responsibility for being parents things would be different. Quit allowing Facebook, cable, and pop music to raise your children. Take away the cell phones and video games. Turn off the television. Try opening a book. Try spending the evenings doing something constructive together. The schools are filled with a generation of dead souled, self-aggrandizing, yapping brats. Funny how that as a culture becomes more technologically affluent, the lazier and coarser it becomes. Abe Lincoln went to a one room schoolhouse sans shoes, yet he was more literate and aware of social concerns than 90% of the should-have-been abortions that attend today’s schools. I feel sorry for this poor girl. Not only because she was so desperate that she took her own life (if that is indeed what truly happened – maybe Casey Anthony should have tried this angle), but because of what she was born into: the generation of the damned, not to mention a family of exconvicts and physically wasted drug abusers. I hope they had fun at Dave and Buster’s that night.
Do you have a heart? Should have been abortions, fun at Dave & Busters? That’s so sad…..how is this going to help anything?? Placing blame & rubbing people’s mistakes in their faces isn’t going to bring her back. If you know so much about her & her personal problems & you’re so perfect why didn’t you intervene? Im sorry this is just hurtful & mean.
I went to London schools and hated every day of it. I had a teacher that always found a way to make funny of me and when we moved back to London and my son started school I shall not so much childern but teacher picking on him. When he made it to second grade and had the same teacher i did and shewas still the making fun of the kids I was done. I moved and put my child in a different school. It has so much to do with the school. My sons school talks about bulling everday and every morning they make a pledge not to be a bully and the police department comes and talks with the kids and tells them how mean words can hurt. That is a school that cares one that doesnt just do nothing and yes my son school will call the cops and have a child removed if they are bulling…
First of all what can the schools really do? NOTHIN! They cant whip the kids anymore, they cant be one on one with each and everyone of them….
And if your child was being picked on the bus why you make her suffer any longer than she had too… I would have moved heaven and earth to make sure someone was there to drop her off and pick her up everyday. and I agree we can not put all the blame on these kids and I agree something needs to be done but we also need to be real about it. We can talk til we are blue in the face but if a kid is going to be mean they are going to be mean. I try to tell my son if they are talking about you they must be your biggest fan. Hopefully he understands it…. But no matter what anyone thinks its completley sad that we now have to talk to our elementary kids about suicide. RIP Hailey.
After reading most of the postings on this page I must come out and say. If your child/children have been or are being bullied then you will understand. My children have been and I have done everything in my power to stop this from going on. I have gone to teacher, school principals, school board members and NOTHING was done. Am I angry yes, did I stop there no. I got my children help, but the damage is done. One of my children came to me and said that she knew what Hailey was thinking right before she killed herself. Now that makes me sad and angry at the same time. What if your child took his/her life?? what would you do?? I dont think any of us can say what we would do. If this family has drug issues or in and out of jail that does not make it right for kids to attack her. As a community we are to help the kids who need help, did we NO have we helped all fo the children who are being attacked by bullies NO. The question to all of us is HOW CAN WE STOP THIS? WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? So lets just take a step back and fix it before we loose another child/children to this.
i so agree with what you said we need to stop the bullying and educate a
are children as much as we can so this dont happen again
You know at first I thought that myself for about a min.
My daughter is bullied on the bus so no I am not trying to deflect the blame but my child and I are handling it through the school and within our home and taking steps to right the wrong. I know there is bullying going on but I also know there’s more to this story than people will admit and that the school and children should not carry this burden alone based on the truth the whole truth.
If you don’t have anything nice to say you should hush your lips….did it ever occur to you that YOUR A BULLY if you kick someone while they’re down?? This family is grieving & mourning the loss of a child…in the fathers case his ONLY CHILD. This bashing the family stuff is not going to help anything Haileys death shouldn’t be in vain. In the words of Hailey Petee “STOP BULLYING FREE ZONE!”
I agree with you on this. My daughter was bullied by this girl that was supposedly bullied. Most kids that are pick on don’t pick on other kids. I feel so bad that she took her life and no one was there to help her but I feel that they should be looking at the family life and other reasons then just blaming others. Also if my daughter would have been killed or killed herself I would not be doing a TV interview a few hours later. It is a private time and you should be with your other kids. I just glad that Hailey’s suffering is over and hope she is at peace.
Why are we all trying to deflect the blame!!! It is BAD out in the schools …. it is vicious it is uncaring and most of all they are never held responsible!
This is half the reason why it keeps happening!! Parents do not care if their children are causing pain to others….they defend the child’s actions by blaming the child and the child’s family instead of where the blame belongs. Shame on anyone who tries to put this on to this family!!! May you NEVER have to endure this ridicule in your life!!! All london students first through 12 should be required to attend her service and re evaluate their behavior and see the outcome…maybe they will see that they have maybe bullied someone and change!!
i do not agree that all children 1st thru 12 should go…this would be a very traumatic thing for one of such young age to see and not all children are mean…..a child only knows what they are taught!
they are either taught to stand their ground and stand up for themself or not to…they are taught to be nice to others and others will be nice back…what the hell happened to the golden rule…people can blame all this on the schools or on the kids and bullies….but facts are facts the schools teach kids whom only act how they are shown and taught to act….kids only know what they are taught…so maybe all the parents need to sit back and look in the mirror and wonder to their own self have they set a good example and if not what they need to change about themself…and ps take the time to interact and talk to your kids and be a part of their lives…know what is going on with them
Why is it that people always point their fingers at the parents saying this or that when it comes to “parents” doing a live interviews on the news? All your doing is making the girls parents look bad by saying your comment about “I would not be doing a TV interview a few hours after my child has been killed or killed herself.” All they are trying to do is tell her side of the story on why she did it. Maybe your right, something might be going on in their family life but it doesn’t mean you should demean her parents and family due to your own opinion. You talk about blaming others well isn’t that what your doing by blaming the parents for home life and them going on TV? In my opinion it sounds like you have no compassion for the parents.
I agree with another reader one her opinion, the parents are so quick to blame the school but what was their part in this tragedy? The mother in and out of jail for years, the drug abuse, not a good home environment for any child. My children tell me all the time how they felt sorry for this child because she would come to school not clean sometimes. The parents failed this child. Children need to be encouraged and nurtured and loved they need their parents to set an example!! Stand up people children live what they learn! I am not saying she wasn’t bullied and that that didnt play a part but I am sick of the school and children taking the wrap for this alone! These kid shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone these parents should take some responsibility for the example they set for this child and the life she was living.
I’m at a loss as to why you folks need to bash the parents. Isn’t that a form of bullying? I don’t know any of these folks. In fact, I do not live in your town. However, they have lost a daughter. Feel some compassion and leave them alone.
I just have one concern. On multiple interviews the parents have states that she was not bullied on school grounds or while at school. And everyone wants to blame the school. She was bullied on the bus and at the bus stop by middle schoolers. Middle schoolers that would not be on her bus or bus stop if the community would have supported the schools ms passed the levy for busing to be done right. My children, LES children do not ride the bus because of the middle schoolers. These older kids do not need to be with the elementary kids. There was a chance that just maybe she would have never encountered these bullies. These bullies from another school, that should be on a different bus. If anybody wants to point fingers there are many to be pointed at many of us. No specific person or place is to blame it was everything and everybody it was a life she wasn’t happy with. It’s just too bad she didn’t know another way to cope. I don’t think she knew that suicide was so final she just understood that bullied kids commit suicide and it makes it better. I am sorry for the families loss and the loss of a young girl too soon, but the blame game is not helping fix things.
It did seem that the parents are hoping to cash in with a big lawsuit, didn’t it? I didn’t see a lot of remorse from them on TV.
Did you ever think maybe they are just a little in SHOCK?
For those of you that do not know Hailey, have never spoken to her or her family out of respect for the family you should keep your opinions to yourself as I am related to her family. Some of your comments are very hurtful.
To all of you that said you don’t bullying was the problem, get real. This little girl left behind a small poster that said “STOP BULLYING, FREE ZONE”. She knew bullying wasn’t right. So the parents did teach their child something right wouldn’t you say.
The Madison Press has stooped to a new low. The person who made the decision to disrespect this family and release the 911 tape should turn in their resignation as they are no kind of Journalist. This Family has not even had this child’s funeral yet and the Madison Press is trying to use the death to sell papers. Totally disgusting behavior from what is supposed to be professional journalists..
The only problem I see with this post is the phrase professional journalist. They are far from it.
Bullying has gone on for years and years, but has just come to light in the last several years, because kids nowadays aren’t taught how to do things for themselves, or to possess any types of values for themselves! I should say, MOST kids are not. In this day and age, teachers/bus drivers/chools don’t have options to deal with bad behavior, like they did in the past. Parents would be all up in arms if paddling was still allowed in school! Yes, it was demeaning, and embarrassing, BUT IT WORKED! If you did what you were supposed to be doing, in the first place, you didn’t have to worry about getting a whack! The threat of getting lined up in the hall for a whack was enough to keep ME in line!…AND my mother/grandparents were all for it! Their thinking, was that I probably deserved it, so good for the teacher! I was bullied, when I was in school, because I was a tall girl! All the mean little girls had the attitude that I wanted to fight, because I was bigger. Not true! I stood up to them, and became a stronger person for it. There were many nights I’d cry myself to sleep, but I would have been mortified, if my parent had complained to the school about it! I would have felt like everybody knew. A teacher’s job is to teach. A bus driver’s job is to drive. They shouldn’t have to be, and are not paid to be, psychologists, police officers, etc. Dicscipline and life guidance should really should start at home, with parents or care givers instilling values into their childern, but sadly, most parents these days just don’t have any, themselves!
how tragically sad. she might have changed the world one day in another way. something should be done to honor her life or to make a difference for someone else. my condolences to the family.
This is a very tragic thing that has happened. I am sure we can find many people to blame and punish but, how many of us see the sadness in children and do nothing? In the “Good Ole Days” there was a saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”. What can we do to make this better? What can we do bring a smile on someone’s face or build their self image? Just think if just one person would have said something nice to this precious child the day she was taken, would it have been the same outcome? What can you do today?
I don’t know these parents, but if it were me – and I had missed much of my child’s developmental years due to being stuck behind bars, only to come home and find her kill herself a year after my release – I don’t think I would be blaming bus drivers or teachers.
I wouldn’t call a TV station the day of my daughter’s suicide to place blame on others.
I’d be looking right into a mirror and wondering what I could have done differently myself.
Sammie, you hit the nail on the head! We aren’t allowed to punish kids anymore, we might violate their “rights” or offend them!
I too am of the opinion that the paddle might fix a few things.
Is this counselor for real. Yes Bullying alone WILL cause a child to commit suicide. This counselor sounded like she was trying her best to see that Charges are not files against the actual perpetrators in this case. This Counselor could use some refresher courses in her field where bullying is concerned and also so more insight into today’s youth. They are not the kids of the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s they are a whole new breed subject to depression and anger issues and are at times downright mean and can cause another child to feel so worthless that they kill themselves. I hope that Chief Wiseman prosecutes this to the fullest extent of the law. My deepest condolences to David and his Family.
Well for one thing it’s not always the parents fault when something like this happen’s..I for one would be ready to whip ass over my kid’s or grand kid’s does that make me a bully?? No it make’s me a Mother/GrandMother that dont want her kid’s or grandkids pushed around beat up or picked on everyday like this little girl was,,I have a granddaughter a grandson an a neice that are taken to school an picked up everyday WHY?????? Because the bus driver’s an the man that is the head of the driver’s choose to do nothing about it an to make this clear to everyone we are talking 2 different buses to different driver’s same man called an NOTHING WAS DONE my grandson who at the time way’s in kindergarden had his glasses slapped off his face the steped on by a 5th or 6th grader when his older sister tried to take up for him SHE was the one that got in trouble WOW really WTF,,my neice whom has had her hair pulled spit on poked with penicle’s snot wipped in her hair an oh yes I dont need to say this but NOTHING WAS DONE So let me ask this question to all of you who feel the parents are to blame what are you saying we are teaching our kid’s to be sissy’s what we need to tell them is when someone pick’s on you or calls you name beat their ass???? I gotta tell London makes me sick an the people in it that have the attitude that you have on all this bullying,,Well here’s what I say bring back the paddle in the school’s like they had when I was in school do your so called NO BULLYING POLICY an when a kid gets in trouble for bullying crack their ass cause it’s clear that they dont get it at home where it needs to be gotten,,Let’s get real here people who dropped the ball on this one? The school for not doing what they should have? The court system for throwing the case’s out? or the police department for not being at the bus stop to see that this little girl was not bullied? well I think it’s fair to say all of them dropped the ball
Let me offer three comments:
1. To the family and friends: All of us are deeply saddened by your loss. Don’t loose sight of the fact that there is a better life beyond our world though! God Bless.
2. The “I don’t care, go sit down” comment. The first part about not caring is not true 100% of the time thank you. What is true is that kids love to come up front, while you driving a 20,000 pound, 40 foot long steel box at highway speeds, and present a multitude of problems. It is NOT safe for them to do so.
3. This entire “bullying” deal has done too far. Here is a harsh truth…not everybody is going to like you. You aren’t perfect, others aren’t perfect, some people are just jerks. Your entire life, you will deal with ignorant, immature people, you best get thicker skin rather than running and crying to anyone who will listen. Rather you should stay above reproach and let those who enjoy tearing others down have their fun…because it doesn’t really matter what they think.
As parents, teachers, bus drivers, coaches, etc, we need to shift our focus away from stopping kids from saying mean things…that is NOT going to happen…let’s focus on teaching kids to not take it to heart, let jerks be jerks, and not value their expressed opinions.
This sounds like a bus driver not taking his, or her responsibilities to heart. What is the mirror for in front of the bus, giving the driver view of hte passengers for? Evedently it must be for decoration cause it sounds like it is not the drivers responcibilty to watch and see what is going on. As the adult on the bus, the driver is responcible for each and every student, on that bus. And if you can’t stop the bus and correct the problem then, why are you driving that 20,000 lb., 40 ft long bus in the first place?
Former bus driver Thank God you are not my childrens bus driver, and until you have a child who tries to harm his/herself you have NO room to talk. This bullying issue is big and has gotten bigger since social media. My child did NOTHING to her bullies but be different such as rather read a book and stay home instead of going to parties and have sex with everyone out there. They took it to another light when they told my child that he/she would be better dead then alive. So maybe we should look at the lasting effects this has on kids and STOP saying bullying has been around for years. Come on former bus driver get it together.
How sad it is that majority of responses are quick to blame schools for such a tragedy as this, but fail to realize their own responsibility. Teachers are required to supervise 20+ children at a time along with trying to get them to learn something! I think parents need to take a bit more responsibility in raising their children to not only be respectful of adults but other children as well, along with being active in their own child’s life. A lot of these situations can be prevented if parents were more involved. With all the social outlets in this world it is easy for children to misbehave with little fear of consequences. When kids are so cruel to one another that they are able to push an eleven year old girl to think death is a better alternative, it makes me wonder what kind of children are we raising…
I have a daughter that was being bullyed went to the school about it so my and they did nothing about it she went to school the next day and got into a fight and was the only one in trouble this school needs to be looked into more GOD bless the petee family …
I have a son that’s 7 years old and gets picked on about what shoes he wear what clothes he wears this is getting blowed out of paportion plz kids STOP BULLYING it hurts and what if u were in there shoes being bullyed u hurt people by this all my prayers go to the petee family GOD bless…
I have no doubt in my mind that this poor little girl was bullied! Shame on the school for not taking this more seriously! How does an 11 tear old know how to committ suicide???? That’s what’s so upsetting! Why did this poor little girl think death was the answer!
I am a bit confused, my son who goes to Madison Plains says this girl is a friend of his, and went to his school. Is there an error? Or did I miss something?
What are you confused about, Micah? Isn’t Madison Plains a London school?
no it is not a london school, just in the same county
U know i look at it this way…everyone is blaming the kids for this but there just kids….is what we really need to do is start changes n the school.i personally dont think teacher should b aloud the b coaches of a school sport….ive noticethat a coach will play favorites weather they realize it or not….and the teachers that let things happen right n front of there face but dont say anythin……it not all teachers but i seen it all thoughtout school…london needs to step up and take care of this mess…i: went to london 7th to 10th and its only gettin worse
London Schools, like many others, should put in place a program educating children about bullying and how to deal with bullying situations. It is heartbreaking when a child feels so helpless that they resort to taking their own life. Also, when a parent reports to the school that their child is a victim of bullying, the school officials should take this very seriously. The neglect of an intervention by London school officials makes the school system look very bad.
“bullying alone will not lead a child to commit suicide. Family problems…”
Sounds like the moms were bullying too. The Dispatch article states that it was neighborhood problems.
My daughter also was getting bullied at another school for yrs. We finally took her out and she loves her new school. We went to the principal and teachers many times. They felt like their hands were tied. I’m sorry to say but I feel like the behavior of these kids are coming from the home. I think their parents and siblings are also bullies (most of the time). Read the article about Haliey, looks like the 40 yr old is a bully and Madison Co courts are throwing charges out……sad. Hailey is in heaven. A MUCH BETTER PLACE!
OMG! Regina you are so on point about the teachers they do tell the children to go sit down or I didn’t see them do this or that to you. The bus drivers are to blame also, my kids bus driver tell the “i don’t care go sit down”. The teachers are bullies too! One of my kids have experienced this also this year I will not say the teachers names but they know who they are. Everyone knows this will get swept under the carpet or blamed on the parents just like it says in this article. To the family we (the parents of children who are in the boat of bulling) I want to say I am so sorry for your loss and your daughter’s memory will be forever remembered.
Tonita , this bullying by teachers has gone back to the 70′s when I went to London High. Yes they do know who they are.One bullied my sister by embarrassing her in front of the class by asking “Wheres your Brother? Jail”. That teacher is still there and I hope over the years he has gained some experience in dealing with impressionable children.
You are so right about teachers doing this..My son who is 26 yrs old went to a special Ed class had a teacher memick him cause when he got excited he would studer.Now let you kniw this is a special needs teacher..
Bullying runs rampant in the schools here in London. Something MUST be done to save our children. Parents also need to talk to their children and let them know that bullying is not acceptable. The sad truth is that children only learn from their parents, the people who raise them and friends they hang around with. So, if kids are bullying then they probably see theirs friends and parents doing the same thing. Very sad!!!
The parents are too busy high and drunk.. the kids are raising themselves. And the schools turn a blind eye. I already pulled out my oldest and put her in Madison Plains because she was being bullied. This was a trial year and I’ve been very successful with the results. My youngest two will be next. My aim is to move out of that town altogether as I feel it is a lost cause. I don’t want London Schools getting any of my tax money.
** I’ve been very pleased with the results.
Rhonda, I just wanted to say Madison Plains School system is a lot better than London. My oldest is in Madison Plains High School and I give them an B. The teacher’s have their heads on straight the councelor is very good at what she does, the teachers don’t seem to be a problem either…So to anyone one who reads this and you are thinking about changing schools my suggestion would be Madison Plains.
Just to let everyone know the teachers are just as bad at bulling the kid . and when the go tell on other kids are told to go sit down or go play i have 4 kids thzat go to the school and they say that the teachers are mean and when going to the school over it its look over and nothing is done . this is why thing go bad .
I feel bad for the family I just wish that all the kids that are upset about this they should be upset that this was happening to her begin with and helped her through the rough times and not stand back and did nothing she would be alive still
I hope the press stays on top of this story and shines a very bright light on the problem of bullying at LCS and on the buses. I’m sure this is not isloated to London either.
Could her death be result of choking game, which is often mistaken for suicide. Praying for family.