Anne, 18

Anne died while being driven to the hospital at 1:23 am. The official cause of death was alcohol poisoning. Two good Samaritans reportedly found Anne in the park. “She was crying a lot and she kept saying, "I can’t see, I can’t see.” It was obvious that Anne was dangerously intoxicated. Mark and his wife Jennifer, both residents of the neighborhood, took it upon themselves to drive the girl to the hospital.

Mark recounted sadly, “We sat together in the backseat and I put my arm around her. Her head kept dropping down on her chest and I began to get really worried.” He paused, reflecting. “She was scared. I think she knew she was going to die. After a while she stopped crying and that’s when I realized that she wasn’t moving either.”

Anne was a bright young girl about to start college in the fall. Everyone who knew her claimed that she had her entire future ahead of her. Anne had a sensitive nature and was deeply loved by her family and a few close friends. She was a relatively well-known babysitter in the neighborhood and much sought out for, valued for her responsibility, honesty, and compassion.

Her parents and friends remain baffled as to why she would drink herself to death. But her parents do claim that she had a history of abusing alcohol. Her mother remembered a time when she found Anne wandering around their apartment complex naked. Anne was heavily intoxicated and had no memory of anything in the morning.

A neighbor who often asked Anne to baby-sit said, “I had no idea she drank. Anne was always so good with our children.”

Why did Anne drink so excessively? Was it an accident or a suicide? These questions continue to plague Anne’s family and friends.

Jamie, a classmate of Anne’s, eloquently stated, “She was always quiet. If I saw her at a party or something I usually would forget that she was even there and I would end up standing right in front of her. It’s not like I meant to, it’s just that she seemed to become part of the wall, like the scenery. Now that she's dead, I wish I hadn't forgotten about her."