GA - Trent Lehrkamp, 19, victim of extreme hazing, St. Simons Island, 21 Mar 2023

[Marysmith]

“Q: We also know this has been named as a hazing investigation by your department, originally logged as an assault call when it was put into the CAST system for your dispatchers and then named a hazing incident in a press release from you all. According to our legal experts, this case doesn’t fit the Georgia law for hazing. Is this still a hazing investigation for investigators?
A: I would agree with you. This does not meet Georgia code for hazing because it doesn’t involve a public school event or organization that’s related to a school. Our victim was an adult, as you’re aware. The other individuals that are involved in this thing are juveniles. So, it would not rise to that definition, I agree.”

From the transcript kindly posted by another WSer, I noted the bolded sentence above with some alarm. “Doesn’t RISE TO that definition?” Well, then, what is it? “Boyish hijinks”? “Horseplay”? Gimme a break. It’s assault, at best, and IMO looks quite like attempted murder except for the fact the perps carted him off to the ER (probably for purely selfish reasons rather than actual concern or regret).

It’s absolutely assault times as many perps as were involved - at the very least!!

 

[airportwoman]

This case is so frightening to me. I have a 12 year old son who is “friends” with the popular boy group in school. And by “friends” I mean, he is allowed to be a part of their group text chat but 50% of the time they’re just making fun of him. Also, by “friends” I mean they will occasionally let him go to their house to hang out, but half the time it ends in him getting de-pantsed, teased, body-slammed, etc. And yet, he goes back for more. Over and over. We try to talk to him about what real friends are like, how he shouldn’t let people treat him like a doormat, how he needs to have some self-respect, etc. Sometimes we even go the tough love route and either ban him from hanging out with them or straight up telling him that they aren’t his friends and they just want him around to pick on him.

It’s so frustrating to see your child willingly and knowingly put themselves into harmful situations and it scares me to think that these “friends” of my son’s could escalate their behavior to this level in just a few years.

Have you at least let the other kids' parents know about the way they treat your son, for all the good it might do?

 

[everybodhi]

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[ChatteringBirds]

When even LE wants to call something this horrific "hazing," as if it's not a violent crime, you can see why all of the people who participated turned out as rotten as they did.

Trent, I hope you fully recover and fight for the justice, criminal and civil, that you deserve. And that you can end up in a nice college or job-training situation far away from all of these awful people and live your positive and very valuable life surrounded by better people.

 

[arielilane]

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19-year-old Trent Lehrkamp remains in the hospital after being dropped off by several other teens, barely breathing with a deadly alcohol level.

'Justice for Trent' rally fills downtown St. Simons Island, protestors push for charges in teen abuse case

19-year-old Trent Lehrkamp remains in the hospital after being dropped off by several other teens, barely breathing with a deadly alcohol level.

www.firstcoastnews.com

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Trent Lehrkamp, the victim of abuse at a party in Glynn County, is still in the hospital after he was dropped off barely breathing.
Dozens of community members came together for a rally at the St. Simons Island pier Saturday afternoon to support Lehrkamp.

 

[Cool Cats]

A Georgia teenager who was put on a ventilator after being tortured at a house party said it will take months for him to heal​

A Georgia teenager who was put on a ventilator after being tortured at a house party said it will take months for him to heal

Trent Lehrkamp was intoxicated from a mix of alcohol and "controlled substances" and was found covered in urine, police said.

www.yahoo.com

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[realanastasia]

Cops identify nine 'bullies' who left teen victim clinging to life

Controlled substances and 11 cellphones have been seized by cops and the FBI have been called in to help with the investigation, DailyMail.com can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Notable for the fact that the father’s girlfriend vigorously refutes claims/speculation that TK was autistic or neurodivergent, saying he was “mortified” by this suggestion.

The snipped part below features the father’s girlfriend explaining why TK was living on his own in his hometown during the past year, when the physical assaults on him occurred —sounds like a reasonable scenario for a kid who wasn’t sure about post-high school plans.

“'Lehrkamp graduated from Glynn Academy High School, where he played football. He opted not to go to college and was living alone after his father had moved into Linna's home nearby.

“There was a lot of stuff that was dealt with in that last year before he graduated. With the passing of all his family,' she said.

Far from being neglectful, she said the young man had being given his liberty. He was working and paying his own way while he figured out his future.

'Obviously he graduated in May of last year. And we've had those conversations last year. Hey, if you're not ready for college, that's fine. Let's figure out what you want to do,' she said. 'We were coming up with what those next steps look like after high school.'
[…]
There was another rumor that he was struggling on his own and another that his father, Mark, 44, had put a lock on the pantry to keep him from eating.

'They don't even have a pantry,' she said. 'We live in a small community. People gossip.'

His father would check in with him daily to make sure that he was taking out the garbage and performing other household chores that a young man living on his own for the first time may neglect.”

 

[Marysmith]

Cops identify nine 'bullies' who left teen victim clinging to life

Controlled substances and 11 cellphones have been seized by cops and the FBI have been called in to help with the investigation, DailyMail.com can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Notable for the fact that the father’s girlfriend vigorously refutes claims/speculation that TK was autistic or neurodivergent, saying he was “mortified” by this suggestion.

The snipped part below features the father’s girlfriend explaining why TK was living on his own in his hometown during the past year, when the physical assaults on him occurred —sounds like a reasonable scenario for a kid who wasn’t sure about post-high school plans.

“'Lehrkamp graduated from Glynn Academy High School, where he played football. He opted not to go to college and was living alone after his father had moved into Linna's home nearby.

“There was a lot of stuff that was dealt with in that last year before he graduated. With the passing of all his family,' she said.

Far from being neglectful, she said the young man had being given his liberty. He was working and paying his own way while he figured out his future.

'Obviously he graduated in May of last year. And we've had those conversations last year. Hey, if you're not ready for college, that's fine. Let's figure out what you want to do,' she said. 'We were coming up with what those next steps look like after high school.'
[…]
There was another rumor that he was struggling on his own and another that his father, Mark, 44, had put a lock on the pantry to keep him from eating.

'They don't even have a pantry,' she said. 'We live in a small community. People gossip.'

His father would check in with him daily to make sure that he was taking out the garbage and performing other household chores that a young man living on his own for the first time may neglect.”

Gosh like why does she even have to explain this? He didn’t do anything wrong and neither did they.

 

[airportwoman]

Maybe that's been addressed here, but I heard that the FBI is involved now, because tying him up could be construed as kidnapping, which is an FBI crime.

 

[MrsWatson]

When are we going to see some arrests?

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Maybe that's been addressed here, but I heard that the FBI is involved now, because tying him up could be construed as kidnapping, which is an FBI crime.

FBI involvement is encouraging. Moo

 

[evilwise]

As you know I am a lot less immediately judgemental than most. I also am glad the FBI is reviewing all the digital evidence. As maximum phone addicted as this demo is gonna be, I'm sure they'll be able to assemble a pretty accurate moment by moment accounting of exactly who did what to Trent and when.

 

[branmuffin]

It's just sickening that two weeks have gone by and we're not hearing any positive forward thinking from the chief in regards to charges. The names of the individuals involved are on social media, including their parents. There's photographic evidence of the level of sadistic and cruel behavior these kids engaged in. What does the police chief want at this time to move ahead with the charge? I hope his dithering is what got the FBI involved. The community's response to this despicable act jump started their involvement, imo. A heads up to LE who slow walk an investigation - you can't serve two masters.

 

[vls12345]

Glynn County police work to dispel rumors surrounding bullying of Georgia teen

Among the rumors that police wish to dispel is there is no evidence that he ingested any battery acid.

www.wsbtv.com

 

[realanastasia]

Glynn County police work to dispel rumors surrounding bullying of Georgia teen

Among the rumors that police wish to dispel is there is no evidence that he ingested any battery acid.

www.wsbtv.com

Wait, they wish to “dispel the rumor that there is no evidence he ingested any battery acid”? I think this is just horrible journalism, and they mean to say that there is no evidence of TK ingesting battery acid, but…yowza, that news organization ought to hire a better copy editor, stat.

 

[branmuffin]

Glynn County police work to dispel rumors surrounding bullying of Georgia teen

Among the rumors that police wish to dispel is there is no evidence that he ingested any battery acid.

www.wsbtv.com

Instead of identifying the things that didn't happen to Trent why not focus on what did? It doesn't lessen the horror and abject cruelty he was subjected to. Based on what they did to Trent is enough to press charges of assault and battery.

That poor kid. His mom died which in of itself meant he was probably still grieving her death and suffering from depression. It's unfortunate that he didn't go to live with his dad when he moved in with his girlfriend. It sounds like he needed the support emotionally.

It just amazes me that the parents of these sociopathic bullies protect them from justice. I don't care what that interim chief says, there's plenty of evidence to arrest some of those that are on video torturing him. If they are the same kids that brought him to the hospital they didn't do it out of concern for Trent but to cover their own a**es. Arresting two or three of the perpetrators could start a cascade of talking.

I'm very disappointed in the police department in this county. They have a history of poor investigations when the focus turns to their own officers and it appears they are more concerned with not ruffling the feathers of their higher profile constituents rather than getting to the business of serving and protecting everyone in Glynn county.

Two former Glynn County police officers plead guilty - The Current

Glynn County ex-police officers pleaded guilty to misdemeanors after being accused of perjury and violating their oaths of office in 2020 pertaining to misconduct in a troubled drug unit, called GBNET.

thecurrentga.org

Lawsuit alleging Glynn police chief hiring discrimination is dropped - The Current

Applicants for Glynn County Police Department chief in 2021 drop lawsuit alleging discrimination. They say the county has changed its hiring practices to be more fair.

thecurrentga.org

As trial approaches, indicted former Glynn County police chief's history shows controversies - The Current

When John Powell took over in 2018 as Glynn County police chief, officials hoped he'd work to build community trust. Now he faces trial on charges stemming from an out-of-control narcotics unit.

thecurrentga.org

 

[Regal Beagle]

That’s so hard. I’m so sorry.

Keep it up @Emerald1328 , it will get through to him eventually.

 

[arielilane]

No one has been charged yet... So what are they waiting for? For a repeat? another brutal beating to happen to some other innocent victim? moo

19-Year-Old Trent Lehrkamp Speaks Out After Being Tortured and Hospitalized by Group of Teenagers

 

[arielilane]

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UPDATE: Still haven’t heard back

 

[arielilane]

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Police are investigating a second incident at the St. Simons Island, Georgia home where Trent Lehrkamp was tortured. Second incident involves a different teen allegedly shot with an “orbeez” paintball gun, our @newsnation station @wsav has confirmed.

Paintball gun incident allegedly happened before the Trent incident -- but was reported after.