Reason For Bullied Teen’s Death Finally Revealed

The motive in the beating death of a Wilmington, Delaware, teen was finally revealed more than a year after the beating took place.

Amy Inita Joyner-Francis was attacked by bullies in the bathroom of Howard High School of Technology on April 21, 2016. She was taken to a nearby hospital with severe injuries, and died soon after.

Court documents showed that the beating was the result of a fight that broke out over a boy. 16-year-old Joyner-Francis reportedly group texted friends about a situation regarding the boy, and one of her classmates involved in the text became upset when she thought that some of the messages about the situation were directed at her.

That classmate, Trinity Carr, met with Joyner-Francis in the girl’s bathroom on April 20th so they could discuss the matter, and a video later posted to Snapchat showed Carr and two of her friends, Chakiera Wright and Zion Snow, talking about Joyner-Francis being “scared” and implying that Carr was gong to fight her. 

The next morning, a fight broke out between the girls in the bathroom, with a Joyner-Francis telling a math teacher who intervened that the girls “jumped” her. She was lying on the floor at the time, breathing heavily. 

State prosecutors attempted to convinced the judge to allow Carr to be tried as an adult due to the nature of the attack and because she reportedly didn’t show any remorse, the Delaware News Journal reported. It was ultimately decided that she would be tried as a minor because her lack of remorse was instead a feeling of disbelief that she could have caused Joyner-Francis’ death.

“While this is [Carr’s] first contact with the justice system, it is a tragic one with a horrific outcome, an outcome that will have a longstanding impact on a family, a school and a community for many years,” Judge Robert Coonin said in court. “Whether [Carr] is tried in the Family Court or in the Superior Court, that outcome will not change; the senseless loss of a young girl’s life cannot be undone nor will the pain inflicted upon her family ever be extinguished.”

Carr was charged with criminally negligent homicide and third-degree criminal conspiracy for the teen’s death, while Wright and Snow were charged with third-degree criminal conspiracy because neither was accused of physically hitting the teen.

“I knew it was over some boy. No mystery there. Some boy who they wouldn’t have even remembered by this time. What a waste. I hope those disgusting murderers get locked up for life,” one Shared reader commented on the site’s Facebook page.

“t’s so disgusting that today’s kids resort to murder. There were bullies years ago when I was in school, but kids used words to pick on others, which was bad, but getting physical to the point of killing someone is tragic. And over a boy. It’s not worth it and I hope these teens are treated as adults and spend time in jail,” another added. 

Sources: Delaware News Journal, RelayHero, Shared/Facebook / Photo credit: RelayHero