12-year-old boy dies in controversial forest Therapy Camps in North Carolina It has been ruled a homicide, according to the autopsy report released by the state’s chief medical examiner.
The cause of death of the boy has been stated as follows in the post-mortem “Asphyxia due to strangulation.” The boy died after less than 24 hours at the camp at Lake Toxaway.
The autopsy stated, “No significant natural disease was present that caused or contributed to death. Non-specific findings included swelling of the brain. Mild bruising was present on the left thigh and leg without significant internal injuries.”
The boy, who Fox News Digital will not identify because of his age, was forced to sleep in a bivvy bag — a bag that turns a sleeping bag into a one-person shelter. The autopsy revealed the solid outer layer of the boy’s bag was zipped up because the mesh lining was torn.
The death of a 12-year-old boy in Trails Carolina has been ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report released by the state’s chief medical examiner. (Trails Carolina)
The autopsy found that commercially available bivy products include “a general warning” indicating that the mouth “should not be completely closed, as this may cause condensation and obstruct breathing.”
According to the post-mortem report, the boy’s bivvy bag was also closed and had an audible alarm fitted to prevent him from opening the bag himself.
“It is unclear whether high temperatures (hyperthermia) may have also played a role in the death, as he was partially undressed and the way the sleeping area was constructed could have increased the environmental temperature. He was placed in this hazardous sleeping area by others and did not have the ability to properly remove himself from the situation with an alarm. There were deviations from standard protocols due to using a damaged bivvy and securing the external weather-resistant door rather than the internal mesh panel,” the report said. “With this combination of factors, it is best to certify the death as a homicide.”
The autopsy revealed that counselors at the camp failed to check on the boy because they could not see through the “opaque” outer panel.
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The medical examiner determined that the boy had died from “asphyxiation due to strangulation.” (Trails Carolina)
Authorities also reviewed the boy’s medications. Three clonidine pills were found missing during the autopsy.
Clonidine is an “antihypertensive medication that lowers blood pressure and heart rate by relaxing arteries and increasing blood supply to the heart,” according to . National Institutes of Health. However, the post-mortem report stated that “testing did not reveal any elevated or toxic levels of clonidine.”
The boy was found dead in a cabin on February 3 Trails in Carolina, according to the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy had been sent to the camp by his parents from his home in New York because of behavioral problems.
According to an investigation report, on his first night, the boy was restless and mumbled in his sleep. A camp counselor also said the boy “seemed nervous.” However, the autopsy said the boy had no known history of seizures.
The next morning, the boy was found lying on his right side, his head at the bottom of the bivvy bag, which had become thinner at the end.
The autopsy states that after emergency medical personnel arrived, it was determined the boy was already beyond life-saving measures due to rigor mortis, indicating he likely died. Has been dead for several hours.
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The boy was sent to the camp by his parents because of behavioral problems. (Trails Carolina)
FOX News Digital has been in contact with Trails Carolina throughout the investigation and is awaiting a statement on the autopsy results.
The camp previously told Fox News Digital that there was “no evidence of criminal conduct or suspicious act” And they were complying with law enforcement in the investigation.
Transylvania Sheriff’s Office also released a statement to Fox News Digital saying they “would not be discussing any details of the investigation.”
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“As stated in the press release, we are reviewing the ME report alongside the criminal investigation and will be meeting with the District Attorney,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
After the boy’s death, Trails Carolina barred new admissions to the camp while the investigation continues.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
