After 14-year-old Michigan freshman Samantha Kelly accused a senior of rape, she endured endless bullying from classmates. The weeks of harassment got to be too much, as Samantha hanged herself Monday after school.
With the key witness dead, prosecutors were forced to drop all charges against senior Joseph Tarnopolski.
Samantha's mother was enraged at this decision to dismiss the third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge. She said after the brief court hearing, "My daughter did not get any justice."
Tarnopolski said he was sad about the girl's death but that he was not responsible. "If she was getting ridiculed, it's not because it me," he said. "It's because of somebody else."
Samantha's accusations became known to her classmates after she and her mother spoke to a local TV station about the incident.
Tarnopolski's attorney, Jacqueline George, called the case "a sad situation" for everyone involved. "I hope both families can heal," she said.
A Facebook page was created to memorialize Samantha. It reads, "R.I.P., Samantha Kelly. You will be missed. We love you."
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