Pennsylvania Teen Commits Suicide, Family Calls Out Social Media Bullies In Her Obituary

15-year-old Sadie Riggs hung herself on June 19, and her parents said her death was partially a result of constant tormenting on social media by her peers. The family wrote an obituary, which was posted on Facebook, which sent a scathing message to those who spent their free time bullying their beloved child.

The obituary was posted on the Louis Geisel Funeral Home website as well as Facebook.

“In an effort to debunk the rumors about Sadie’s death we would like to share this information. Yes, Sadie took her own life, she hung herself. It is hard to fathom that someone so young could be so troubled. Sadie was seeking help, she was in counselling and taking medication, but it was all too much for such a young soul to live with. If you take a minute and look at Sadie’s family dynamics you will see that a large percent of the people in her life were not not related to her by blood but she was sent to us by God who knew this child needed a family. Sadie had a tough life and until a recent incident at school she handled everything life served her. For a young lady so excited about going to the High School things sure went terribly wrong for her. For the bullies involved, please know you were effective in making her feel worthless. That is all between you and God now, but please know that it is not to late to change your ways. Sadie’s death has taken us to dark places, we will stick together and protect one another as we try to make sense of this tragic loss. To all the bullies out there, I just want you to know that as much as we despise your actions never, ever do we wish for you to feel the paralyzing pain that engulfs our bodies, a pain so severe that it makes the simple act of breathing difficult or the guilt that leaves us wondering what we could have done differently-or that struggle to remember the last words we spoke…Our hearts are beyond broken. Sadie, it was a privilege to have you in our lives and we will always love you. May you find peace in the arms of God and may we all be kind to one another.”

The family’s words were successful in tearing down the bullies who were so terrible to her that they eventually lead her to take her own life.

The school, which was unable to comment on her case, had stated that they do not have jurisdiction over what children get up to when they are not at school, and therefore they cannot punish kids for lashing out on each other via social media. However, the school is offering to counsel students who have been affected by Sadie’s death.

But for Sadie Riggs, the events that lead up to her suicide were completely unavoidable. According to her parents, the 15-year-old could not even log on to the Internet without someone berating her.

The 15-year-old’s parents commented on the fact that Sadie’s past had not been glamorous, which led to some feelings of worthlessness. The young girl was adopted by her parents, and many of the children in her family are not her blood siblings. According to her parents, she was able to handle most everything that came her way effortlessly, but when the bullying became intense, she could no longer handle it.

The devastated family, which is reeling in the wake of her suicide, have set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses for Sadie’s unexpected and untimely death. The page was made by her aunt, who stated that Sadie’s mother was raising her as a single parent on a limited income, and therefore, the cost of a funeral was totally out of reach for the family.

Recently, Michelle Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself. The family of the Conrad Roy, who committed suicide at her urging, are hoping to create new laws to ensure that children are protected from this kind of abuse in the future, though some worry it will curtail free speech.

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