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."

[surrey]

Young people falling off balconies,down dorm stairs and out of windows is becoming pretty common. Some acquaintances of our lost their son during his first week of college. He had too much to drink and tumbled down the stairs. It's tragic but it's very probable that these guys didn't kill her.

[maica]

I imagine this 19 year old man would be described as a teenager if he had been the victim.

*****

He would be recorded as a child if a victim of a gun crime.

[KantianBurke]

Sssh! That's only supposed to be done when compiling gun death statistics! :>

[Dante3]

I recall a case against the University of Michigan. A gild was given drugs at a party. She went to her dorm room, and later was found laying dead on the sidewalk. It would have been incredibly difficult for her to have crawled out of the window.

The father, a journalist who went on to write a book about it to further cash in, sued the University -- not those who gave her the drugs, claiming she must have gotten confused and crawled out of the window. It was decided he had no case. But he was not about to give up and eventually got the University to pay up. He never did bother to find up who gave her drugs.

[gortklattu]

I used to photograph cheerleading camps. I've never seen so many people work so hard at nothing in my life.

They want to get attention and be admired. It's their way.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cheerleaders
Don't let 'em wear makeup and dance in short skirts
Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such
Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cheerleaders
...

[TheDon]

The five “named” cheerleaders are Lauren Crossan, Michelle D'Aconti and Mandy Mason (seniors) and Cara Seidner and Samantha Wilkes (freshmen).

[eno_]

Her naked body fell from the balcony. Hmmm.....problem is, when young people go to other young people's rooms to slut it up, drugs and alcohol can get involved. And then the bad things happen.

It's no less tragic, but the finger-wagging and envy in this thread is pretty ugly. Broke ugly guys who didn't get laid.

I worked for my money and drove a BMW and went skiing in Italy when I was that age. I also had my share of fun. An 18 year old is an adult. Their fault if they don't actually become one by that age.

[drjimmy]

I used to photograph cheerleading camps. I've never seen so many people work so hard at nothing in my life. They want to get attention and be admired. It's their way.

Sounds a lot like today's NFL to me.

[TruthNtegrity]

Roomrates are down - January isn't the best weather to be visiting Hawaii. Package deals abound for the outer islands, especially Maui and Kauai.

And there are always kids who have the money for a trip like this. Don't know where they get it, but from having lived in Hawaii, it always amazed me how kids would show up at school breaks and during the Summer. The Hyatt Regency is NOT a cheap hotel.

[subterfuge]

"I used to photograph cheerleading camps. I've never seen so many people work so hard at nothing in my life. They want to get attention and be admired. It's their way."

You haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about. Its called competition. Do any sports really matter? Why are you picking on Cheerleading? Do you believe there are no redeeming qualities of athletics?

[Modernman]

It's tragic but it's very probable that these guys didn't kill her.

This is every guy's worst nightmare. Pretty girl comes home with you to party, you wake up in the morning and she's dead. Even if you're completely innocent, you've still go a bunch of legal problems ahead of you.

[Rockitz]

How the heck does a 19 and 20 yr old have enough money to party in Hawaii???

Sales job- drug sales, that is.

[jocon307]

"Nice job of chaperoning."

Yes, why didn't she at least insist that the three girls stick together? RULE #1 - Never leave your girlfriends. Believe me, I'm the mom of a teenager, before I'd serve as a chaperone on such a trip I'd get agreements from all the girls, and their parents, that they'd "respect my authority!" as the kid on South Park says, otherwise, forget it. Can you imagine how bad this woman feels now?

And to all here who say she's an adult, etc., and she could join the army, etc. I say, if your teenager wants to, she can join the army, and see how much freedom they give her. If she wants to be free and easy, come and go, and not have to answer to anyone, she can get a job, get an apartment, and live it up. That will probably NOT include trips to Hawaii to cheer in a bowl game.

Of course, if these fellows, or someone else killed the girl, they are responsible. But anyone who thinks an 18 year old (the vast majority, anyway) is a mature adult, well, you are really taking silly pills.

[gortklattu]

oh, I forgot....competition can be in anything. sorry.

a truly competitive sport has an offense and a defense, an event where you actually compete against other humans. Just jumping around and being judged by a third party make the judges your competition, not the other, um, entrants.

[LisaMalia]

This is an extremely sad story, whatever the circumstances are. My heart goes out to this young woman's family.

The press will have a field day with this one.

[subterfuge]

"a truly competitive sport has an offense and a defense, an event where you actually compete against other humans. Just jumping around and being judged by a third party make the judges your competition"

Yeah, I know. Kind of like ice-skating etc. It really isn't about winning and losing, its about teamwork, developing ones mind and body, and perseverance. I just know that it has been great for my daughter's self-esteem. But be sure that if there is a trip to Hawaii in the future, then old Subterfuge is going to be one of the chaperones (a responsible one).

[Modernman]

But anyone who thinks an 18 year old (the vast majority, anyway) is a mature adult, well, you are really taking silly pills.

It's more of a legal question. I don't think this chaperone will have any liability for this girl's death. In fact, there was very little this woman could have legally done to prevent the 18-year old from doing whatever she wanted. The law draws a bright line- at 18, you're free to do pretty much anything you want.

[Ichneumon]

Yeah, this happens to me every time I have an 18 year old naked cheerleader in my room, too. Just can't keep my eyes open.

ROFL. Good point.

[cherry]

"a truly competitive sport has an offense and a defense,"

like golf.....no defense in that one either....but that's a "man's" game so I guess its a sport, right?

no defense in bowling or golf or hunting or fishing or skiing .....yet we still consider all these to be "sports"......