It is believed Prince took her own life (she was found hanging in her room in South Hadley home in January by her younger sister) after a tirade of bullying from a group of girls at school and via cyberspace, mainly through Facebook and text messages.
At today's press conference, Scheibel provided stunning new details about the intensity of bullying Prince sustained since last fall. She also said that on at least one occasion, a school staffer witnessed the bullying while Prince was in a school library.
"From information known to investigators thus far, it appears that Phoebe's death on January 14th followed a tortuous day for her, in which she was subjected to verbal harassment and threatened physical abuse,'' Scheibel said.
Picture of Phoebe Prince.
No charges were brought against any school officials, although Northwest District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said most of the student body, faculty members and administrators knew Prince was being bullied over a four-month period.
Prince’s death has received national attention and prompted the Legislature to act. On March 11, the Senate approved an anti-bullying bill requiring an anti-bullying curriculum and mandating school principals to report bullies to cops if there is reason to believe criminal charges should be pursued.
Sometime alter today, Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel, is expected to announce their findings into the probe of Prince's death.
“Everybody in town has been focused on this,” said Robert G. Judge, a South Hadley selectman and a member of the town’s anti-bullying task force, set up in the wake of Princes' suicide.
I would just like to express my heartfelt sorrow to the family of Phoebe Prince.
