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."

[monkeywrench]

"One of the things arguing against them being sober and abducting her is that you're taking stupidity to new heights to abduct a girl, rape her, throw her out the window and go to sleep with her clothes still in your room."

Such a Kennedy thing to do. :^)

[gortklattu]

There's a distinction between sports and games.

Bowling is a game. Golf is a game.

Football, Soccer, Basketball....etc....sports. You play a game within a sport.

[ladylib]

The cops let the guys go.

[dennisw]

Keep in mind that Chief Moose and his wife got a nice little settlement from a hotel there . They were asked to see their hotel key and ID by a security staffer at the elevators before they got on to go up to their room. They said they were asked because they were black. The hotel did not disclose how much they paid them.

A little above $200,000 is the number that got out and was repeated on the Chief Moose threads back when the snipers were out killing and just after they were caught. Not by Moose but by a truck driver.

[dennisw]

Two men released in probe of cheerleader's death
1/14/2004 2:44 PM
By: Associated Press

Maui, Hawaii-(AP) -- Hawaiian police have released two men arrested in the death of a New Jersey cheerleader who fell from a ninth floor hotel balcony.

Police records show the 19-and-20-year-olds from California were arrested yesterday in connection with Lauren Crossan's death.

Neither man has been charged.

Police say the men told them Crossan was in their room when they fell asleep early Monday morning. Her clothes and personal belongings were found in the room when police arrived to question them after the fall. They were staying in the room from which Crossan fell.

Crossan, who was 18, had traveled to Maui with two other seniors from her school and a chaperone to perform in Saturday's Hula Bowl.

The chaperone says Crossan called her at about 1:30 a.m. Monday to say she was okay and heading back to her room.

[dennisw]

Seems the two guys have been already released.

[ladylib]

It's a mystery.

Maybe she met someone in the hallway?

[dennisw]

I think the pieces will fall into place over the next few days. For one, her blood results will be back showing if she has any drugs or alcahol. The two boys will be further questioned. Other evidence will come to light.

[ladylib]

You're right.

[epow]

No offense, but can you provide a reference for this statistic? thanks

Sorry, but I can't cite a reference. That statistic was quoted on TV by former Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts quarterback Dr. Gary Quazzo(sp?) whose son was found murdered in a FL canal several years ago. I believe Dr. Quazzo is involved in a church ministry that works with runaway teens, but I don't know anything else about him or where he got his information.

I know the number seems incredibly high, but the Dr. seemed to know what he was talking about.

[Stingray51]

Thanks.

[af_vet_1981]

The cops let the guys go.

Have they released a statement that exonerated them ?

[af_vet_1981]

It looks like they did exonerate them.Donald Devorss, 19, and Erik Larson, 20, of Folsom, Calif., told cops they were on vacation and had fallen asleep early Monday morning while Crossan - whom they had just met - was in their room.

A preliminary autopsy report found that Crossan had not been sexually assaulted, but that she had been drinking.

[ladylib]

I don't know. They probably let them go because they had no evidence to hold them at the time. Perhaps the police told them to be available in the future however.

Very strange case.

[af_vet_1981]

It was odd there was no evidence of sexual assault when she turns up nude and dead from two strangers' room but perhaps, perhaps she simply overdosed on alchohol and died from an accident or drunken impulse. It must be awful for her family, just awful. The young men (if innocent) must be shaken up as well. It will never leave them.

[ladylib]

The refrigerators in hotel rooms are stocked with alcoholic beverages. I wonder if they are stocked with alcohol when the hotel knows the occupants are clearly underage.

The guys might have gone to sleep. Maybe she checked out the refrigerator and drank too much.

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

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

Another article says that one of the guys, who works for his uncle's landscaping business, won the trip from a contest held by a client. They live in Cali, so it's not that far. It's nice how everyone jumps to conclusions, though.

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

Randolph is my hometown, and I still talk to some people there. The word on this mom is that she's notorious for allowing drug/alcohol parties in her house. Can't say that's entirely unusual, though.

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

An article I read said that the balcony came to the chest of a 6'1" cop, and that she would have had to climb in order to get over it. I also read that Lauren's parents have hired a prominent Hawaii lawyer, and a private investigator. I wouldn't be surprised if they brought some suit against the hotel, but I don't think any court could reasonably find the hotel tortiously negligent. (I am, however, just a 1L ... )

[Truth'sBabyGirl]

The names have been revealed and repeated in subsequent articles. My guess is the initial reporter just didn't have the names yet.