The death of a boy, who dies in his first night at Trails Carolina, has been ruled a homicide.

The autopsy report of the 12-year-old says the cause of death is asphyxia due to smothering. Trails Carolina has the troubled youths sleeping in bivies that are placed on top of a thick plastic sheet that is folded up the sides in the form of a canoe.

The mesh in the bivy being torn and replaced with the weather-resistant door secured with an alarm that would alert if someone tries getting out of the bivy. Counselors check on the boy during the night, but can’t actually see him because of the door that is being used.  The autopsy notes that instructions for the bivy sack readily available online warn against zipping the solid outer layer completely shut.

When counselors try to wake the boy in the morning, they find he is cold and stiff. His body is turned 180 degrees from the entrance and his feet are near the opening, which the autopsy report says would have allowed the waterproof material to fall onto his face and head.

The report also says the boy was placed in this compromised sleeping area by others and did not have the ability to remove himself from the situation with the alarm securing the opening. Standard protocol was deviated from due to using a damaged bivy and securing the outer weather resistant door instead of the inner mesh panel.”

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• Nick Ochsner –  Executive Producer & Chief Investigative Reporter, WBTV

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[Feature Photo: Trails Carolina]