Posted on 09/02/2004 9:02:49 AM PDT by Cedar
Witchcraft led to girls' double suicide? 13-year-olds walk in train's path, left note about reincarnation
Authorities in Indiana believe witchcraft played a role in the double suicide of two 13-year-old girls who intentionally walked into the path of an oncoming train.
Debra Jean Kawaguchi and Sarah Ann Casey were eighth-grade classmates at Knox Community Middle School, and were killed Saturday morning by a Norfolk and Southern freight train.
The train's engineer said he saw the girls walk onto the tracks at about 3 a.m., but was unable to stop in time. Authorities say both of the students left notes to their families, indicating they planned to take their own lives.
"The girls did take their own lives, and it appears that some of the decision-making involved Wicca and, to some degree, witchcraft," Knox Community Schools Assistant Superintendent Steve Sailor told the Gary Post Tribune.
"All of the school community itself was shocked and saddened by the deaths, we are trying to do our best, both students and teachers, to deal with the grief involved in this tragedy," he said.
According to WNDU-TV in South Bend, Ind., sources indicate the girls allegedly left a note saying they killed themselves because they believed they would be reincarnated.
"At 13 they should, the family should, be dealing with religious concepts together," Dr. Morris Newton told the station. "I think the 13-year-old mind is not sophisticated enough to appreciate the nuances of not just Wicca, but any sort of religious tenet."
Investigators also are trying to determine if there are others who may have been members of a Wiccan group along with the girls.
"It's not every day that two 13-year-old girls do something like this, so obviously there's a lot of legwork to be done ... to get to the bottom of this," Starke County Coroner Mark Smith told the South Bend Tribune.
But he also warned against stating witchcraft could be the only reason.
"I think we would be misinforming people if we focused on Wicca as the precipitating factor," Smith said. "It may be part of a bigger picture."
Brian Casey, Sarah's father, told the Tribune he wasn't aware his daughter had ever been interested in Wicca, an earth-based pagan religion.
"I found nothing of that nature," he said. "Nothing in Sarah's room. Nothing on her computer."
What bothers me is why this County Coroner wants to "warn against stating witchcraft could be the only reason."
Why not warn the people how dangerous witchcraft and the occult are? The girls even left notes giving their reasons!
This guy Smith obviously doesn't know the real picture of Wicca, or either he is part of it himself.
It wouldn't suprise me in the least if the Coroner was a Wiccan Warlock.
The obligatory pagan-bashing by self-righteous evangelical FReepers shall commence in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1.
Donning asbestos Suit....
AFAIK, Wicca has nothing in it that suggests reincarnation. This sounds like a couple of depressed 13-year-olds. Very sad.
Wicca does not teach that one should kill one's self in order to be reincarnated. The actions of disturbed teenagers should be blamed on the religion anymore than the suicide of a Christina teen who offs himself because "things will be better in Heaven" should.
Sorry, Sarge. This is personal.
Before the Lord rescued me from my destructive lifestyle, I was involved somewhat in the occult....kabala, tarot cards, numerology.
The stuff is deadly. Thankfully, the Lord opened my eyes and heart to Him and to hear His words, the Bible. And He specifically warns many times to not seek after other gods, warns against divination, warns against astrology and other forms of the occult.
Witchcraft and the study of occult came very close to destroying me. And I'm not going to sit back and let it appear "innocent" by someone like you who obviously has no experience or real knowledge about it.
I know that the church my 15 year old attends does not encourage suicide, or belief in reincarnation. It's probably not a good idea to see your kids deeply involved in any religion that you don't check out and approve of.
It doesn't say what her parents religion was. If they were Pagans too I bet they are having second thoughts.
Christina = Christian
I wrote prematurely. Apparently many Wiccans do believe in reincarnation, as I found by doing some research. Suicide, however, is actively discouraged by Wiccans.
Don't I?
What about self righteous atheist and pagans? Who could be more self righteous than one who thinks they are above God? You guys are about as one dimensional and transparent as the liberals..stop acting like you belong here.
Then go bash the Hindus, Buddhist as Muslims, why don't you?
I can't imagine that you do with an attitude like that.
[ZD:It wouldn't suprise me in the least if the Coroner was a Wiccan Warlock.]
Good grief. . .or not so; but lets not jump - no LEAP - to unwarranted conclusions here.
Enough of a story to ponder; not nearly enough to allow such possibilitiy thinking here.
Wicca does not encourage suicide. Some Wiccans do believe in reincarnation, but then, so do millions of Hindus.
That said, 13-year-olds are not quite ready for the thought processes that lead to an understanding of what a religion really means. They may accept the tenets of a religion, but they have much to learn, whatever the religion.
Who are you, to judge me? You know nothing of me. Nothing about the journeys I've made. Nothing of the triumphs or the horrors I've known.
You only know what you know. And your mind is closed to me.
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