Fundraisers Held For Bullied Girl Who Took Her Own Life
LAKELAND (CBSMiami/AP) — Several fundraisers were held over the weekend to help cover funeral expenses for a Lakeland girl who committed suicide after being bullied for months.
Fundraisers for Rebecca Sedwick's funeral were held Saturday in Brandon and at a car wash in Lakeland on Sunday.
Her funeral is scheduled for Monday.
Sedwick, 12, was "terrorized" by as many as 15 girls who ganged up on her and picked on her for nearly a year, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. The bullying started over a "boyfriend issue" last year and some of her writings in her diaries found at home "would break your heart," he said, as she talked of how depressed she was about the situation.
Last Monday, authorities said she climbed to a tower at an abandoned concrete plant and hurled herself to her death.
Authorities have seized computers and cellphones from some of the girls as they decide whether to bring charges. The parents of the other girls were also cooperating with authorities.
After Rebecca's suicide, police looked at her computer and found search queries such as "what is overweight for a 13-year-old girl," ''how to get blades out of razors," and "how many over-the-counter drugs do you take to die." One of her screensavers also showed Rebecca with her head resting on a railroad track.
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