Earlier this year, a 12-year-old boy from New York tragically died at Trails Carolina, a wilderness camp in Western North Carolina. His death has now been officially classified as a homicide. The boy passed away less than a day after arriving at the camp near Lake Toxaway.
Initially considered suspicious, his death prompted an investigation by the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office.
According to reports, the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering, and ruled it a homicide.
On the morning of his death, camp counselors discovered the boy unresponsive inside his bivy, a type of shelter used at the camp for safety reasons.
An autopsy revealed that the outer layer of the bivy sack had been sealed by counselors due to damage to the inner mesh layer.
Currently, no charges have been filed in connection with the case.