Two held in cheerleader's death at Hawaii hotel

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 1.14.04

[mhking]

KAANAPALI, Hawaii -- Two California men were arrested in the death of an 18-year-old New Jersey cheerleader whose naked body tumbled from the ninth floor balcony of a Maui hotel.

The two men, whose identities were not immediately released, were arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder in the death of Lauren Crossan, of Randolph, N.J., said Lt. Tivoli Faaumu.

Crossan was part of a group from the National Association of American Cheerleaders that was on Maui to participate in Saturday's Hula Bowl college football game. Her body was discovered Monday morning on the grounds of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort, where she had been staying.

The two men, ages 19 and 20, were registered to the room from which Crossan fell, police said. They were on vacation and not connected to the game or to the cheerleaders' group, Faaumu said.

The men told police that Crossan was in their room when they fell asleep early Monday. Her clothes and personal belongings were still in the room when police arrived to question them, but the men said they didn't know what happened to her, Faaumu said.

"There was some inconsistency in the statements we received from them," Faaumu said. "With all of that, we feel that we have enough probable cause to hold them for questioning at this time."

Crossan had traveled to Maui with two other seniors from Randolph High School and one of the other girl's mothers, who was accompanying them as a chaperone. The three girls had been selected in June by the national organization to perform with nearly 600 other cheerleaders from across the country at the Hula Bowl's halftime show.

The chaperon received a call from Crossan at about 1:30 a.m. Monday saying she was OK and would be returning to her room in the hotel, Faaumu said. When she didn't show up, the others went to look for her but couldn't find her, Faaumu said. A hotel guest spotted her body later that morning.

An autopsy confirmed Crossan died of injuries suffered in the fall, Faaumu said. He said the investigation into her death was continuing.

The girl's school is about 30 miles west of New York City in an affluent area of New Jersey. A message left Wednesday morning with the school district seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Crossan was captain of Randolph High School's cheerleading competition squad. Because of her strength, she was a "base," holding up and catching teammates during performances.

"She never let anyone fall," Nicole Ciolko, former cheerleading team captain, told The Star-Ledger of Newark. "She was just a very strong girl."

[ErnBatavia]

An article I read said that the balcony came to the chest of a 6'1" cop,

I'm just jumping into this thread from the back end, but assume the above refers to that Hyatt Regency on Maui?...Mrs. Bat and I spent a week there and the balcony rails come up to about my belly button (I'm 5'11")

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

I hate to say bad things about people, but from what I hear, this girl thought a lot more of herself than anyone else did. I went to Randolph High and can attest to the miserable existence that some students inflict on others. All the horror stories you hear about rich cliquey high schools are true at Randolph. Most notably, there has always been a group of not-so-bright but good-looking atheletes who party hard and think very highly of themselves. Somehow they designate themselves as popular, but the rest of the 300 students pretty much just laugh at them, aware that in most cases (and painfully true in Lauren's case), these kids are at the peak of their lives. They all go to third-rate colleges, or to County College, and end up pumping their classmates' gas (it is NJ), or serving their drinks within a few years. She's several years behind me, so I never knew Lauren, but from what I hear she was not very nice to her fellow students. There are news crews and grief counselors all over the school, but nobody is that torn up about it, except for the cheerleaders. AND, nobody is at all surprised about the NAKED part. Most kids at Randolph have too much money thrown at them, too little to do, and no responsibility. This girl was described by Principle Martone as an average student, and even he said, "but grades aren't that important." People used to move to Randolph for the school system, but in the last 15 or so years it's really declined. Academic excellence isn't as emphasized as is it used to be, and "jocks" have always more or less been excused from any serious cerebral activity ..... but I digress ....

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

"I'm just jumping into this thread from the back end, but assume the above refers to that Hyatt Regency on Maui?...Mrs. Bat and I spent a week there and the balcony rails come up to about my belly button (I'm 5'11")"


The article I read specifically referred to the 9th floor room she is supposed to have fallen from.

[spectre]

I'm with you, this story makes no sense.

From an article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

"A preliminary autopsy by a medical examiner also found no indications of drugs in her body. There also was no evidence of sexual assault. Larson had told police he had consensual sex with Crossan, but police said yesterday there was no physical evidence of sexual intercourse."

"No physical evidence of sexual intercourse". So was it Oral sex?

A naked girl falls 9 floors and no one heard her scream? Was she unconscious before she went over the railing?

Who supplied her with the booze? Did she ever sleep-walk?

If I were her parents I'd be launching an investigation as well.

sw

[ladylib]

That's interesting.

Looks like a major nonevent for the majority of students from what you've said.

I wonder what the grief counselors' and press reaction is to the fact that the majority of students just don't care one way or the other?

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

Again, I can't speak firsthand, but from what I hear this girl was a typical bully, who belonged to a pack of kids who didn't care about anyone but themselves. Furthermore, I hear she wasn't just indifferent but actively mean to others. I hope these things aren't true, I hope saying them won't set me up for huge attacks from everyone. I'm just repeating what I've heard from home.

[maggief]

http://www.mauinews.com/news/story/0116202004_new04police0116.asp

EXCERPT

Friday, January 16, 2004 — Time: 6:22:59 PM EST


Police: No sign of foul play; investigation continues

By LILA FUJIMOTO, Staff Writer


WAILUKU - While there is no evidence of foul play, Maui police said Thursday they are continuing an investigation into the death of a New Jersey cheerleader who fell from the ninth-floor balcony of a Kaanapali hotel.

Preliminary autopsy results show 18-year-old Lauren Crossan died of multiple traumatic injuries that could have been caused by the 80-foot fall, said acting Lt. Tivoli Faaumu of the Lahaina Criminal Investigation Division. But he said investigators haven't determined the exact circumstances surrounding her death.
"We are not ruling out anything at this point," Faaumu said. "We know the cause of death. We don't know the manner.

"A lot of thoughts are going through our mind. But at this time, we don't know."

He said toxicology reports, which could be available in a week or two, might provide more information for investigators.

Preliminary testing showed traces of alcohol in Crossan's blood, Faaumu said, but don't show her level of intoxication. He said there were no traces of drugs and no sign of sexual contact or other injuries indicating a struggle before her death.

"Nothing else we found at the scene indicates any foul play," he said.

Crossan, a high school senior from Randolph, had arrived on Maui on Sunday with two other seniors from her high school and the mother of one of the other girls. The girls were to perform with a crew of 450 cheerleaders from across the country at the Hula Bowl Maui Saturday.

In the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort, where the group was staying, Crossan had befriended a 20-year-old man from Folsom, Calif., Faaumu said.

"They were in the lobby enjoying Maui," he said. "They just arrived and they were happy to be here."

Later, Crossan ended up in the hotel room registered to the man and a 19-year-old man, also from Folsom, Faaumu said.

All three were drinking, Faaumu said, but police don't have information on where the three youths, who were all underage, obtained the alcohol. "It will be part of our investigation," he said.

He said Crossan made a telephone call to someone in her group at 1:34 a.m. Monday, saying she was OK and would be returning to her room in another tower of the hotel.

"There was no indication from her phone call that she was in distress or some sort of trouble," Faaumu said.

When she didn't show up at the room, her classmates and the chaperon searched the hotel but couldn't find her.

Police were called at 7:46 a.m. after a guest saw her body at the bottom of the Lahaina Tower of the hotel.

Starting at the lower floors, detectives knocked on doors above the area where Crossan's body was found before reaching the room of the California men, Faaumu said. He said Crossan's clothing was found on the floor of the room when police did a search at midmorning, and police believe she fell from the balcony of the room.

The railing was high enough that someone would have had to climb over it to fall from the balcony, Faaumu said.

The men reportedly told police Crossan had been in the room when they fell asleep, and they didn't know what happened.

After being arrested for questioning in the investigation early Tuesday, the men were released that night without being charged.

"They are free to go home or to stay here on the island," Faaumu said. "They were very cooperative with the police."

(snip)

[FITZ]

That's true --- it seems if they had been awake to see her jump they'd have called police right away, if they pushed her, it would seem that they'd throw her clothes and things over the rail too ---- at least do something about the evidence.

It sounds like it might have been a party situation and after a night of drugs, booze and sex, they turned over and fell asleep, maybe she was trying to find her way to the bathroom or back to her own room.

[Dante3]

Interesting comments. Very odd that she would take her clothes off and climb over the balcony. This case reminded me of the Texas mom who hired a hitman over cheerleading. Still, it seems unlikely that she was killed by a competitor.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

We have one for you

[EllaMinnow]

So, in other words, whatever happened to her, she deserved it?

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

"So, in other words, whatever happened to her, she deserved it?"
Show me where I said that.

Don't worry, it's a trick question ... of course I never said that! I was just responding to comments about how sad/distraught the school was. I'm trying to paint a more accurate picture for everyone. I hate when people all of a sudden start honoring and praising someone in death who wasn't very nice in life. Why should we all pretend she was this generous humanitarian just because she's no longer with us? I feel terrible for her family, I feel terrible that her life ended before she got to do anything purposeful with it. I just don't see any reason to make believe she was someone other than an outstanding athelete who ran with an elite crowd and looked down her nose at other people. Eighteen years is plenty of time to develop character and to be a kind, loving person. I'm sure we all know plenty of 18 year olds who make all kinds of caring, loving contributions to the people in their lives.

[MissYouLaur]

Most of you should be ashamed of your selves! You didn't even know Lauren, don't judge her for one bad choice that probaly wasn't even her fault. I grew up with Lauren, she was like the big sister I never had, I am deeply hurt but this horrible event and you people are making it worse. You have no idea what she was really like, so if you have don't know what you are talking about don't talk.

[hellinahandcart]

A classic...

[hellinahandcart]

you people are making it worse

Oh, WAAAAAAH!

Since nobody has said a word about this since January 17th, I would say YOU are the one "making it worse", for reasons of your own, which probably have nothing to do with the girl who died.

[Gabz]

Good catch!!!!!!!!!

[retrokitten]

Honestly, you would think that this person would get at least a little creative. "You don't know her! Who are you to judge??" Same old, same old.

[FourtySeven]

Yeah, uh, honey, that was pretty lame.

Even by troll standards.

[netmilsmom]

I love being pinged by you. It's my laugh of the day!

[End Times Sentinel]

That doesn't sound like the Lauren I knew.  Lauren was a compulsive liar that would make up bizarre stories, usually centered around her experiences in "Nam".

I'll never forget the time she and I were dating and I took her out to a fancy Vietnamese restaurant.  As the waiter approached the table, she grew tense and stared directly into his eyes. 

"Wait, I remember you... 1969, Huang Tre province.  I was point of a recon group and we stumbled upon half a platoon of NVA regulars who were dozing in the mid day sun.  I reported back to the Lieutenant and in short order, we unleashed the fury of the seventh ring of hell on those unfortunate bastards.  After the fun was over I took my hunting knife and sawed one of those commie gook's heads off and posed for a photo with it resting on my shoulder.  And you, my yellow friend, are a dead ringer for him.  Could that be your father or brother?"

Needless to say, it made for an uncomfortable remainder of the meal.

You must have her mixed up with someone else... again.

 

Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”