Investigators release name of Wellesley teen who died after party
By Peter Schworm and Brian Ballou, Globe Staff
Investigators have identified the Concord Academy student who died yesterday after being found unconscious in an icy stream after leaving a nearby house party.
Elizabeth Mun, 16, from Wellesley, was found facedown in a partially frozen Andover brook early Sunday morning after leaving an all-night party on foot. She was pronounced dead yesterday afternoon at a Boston hospital.
"She leaves behind all too early a loving family," read a statement from the family of Elizabeth Mun of Wellesley, provided to The Associated Press.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death, a spokesman for the Essex County district attorney's office said. Officials declined to comment on whether drinking was involved.
Mun had participated in her school's theater program and played on the field hockey team, according to Concord Academy's website.
Mun left the party abruptly around 5 a.m., and partygoers told police they soon began searching for her. When they were unable to find her, they contacted police, who began a search shortly before 7 a.m.
When they found her on the far side of a pond near the home, she was given CPR but remained unresponsive, authorities said. She was treated at a Lawrence hospital before being flown by helicopter to Boston.
According to Mun's family, the teenager enjoyed traveling with her family and had varied interests, including field hockey, lacrosse, golf, figure skating, and photography. Mun hoped to follow in her mother's footsteps and attend Brown University, the family's statement said, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement issued last night, Pam Safford, associate head of enrollment and planning at Concord Academy, described Mun as "an independent thinker with a finely tuned sense of humor" and said that the school was mourning her loss.
In October, a Plainville teenager drowned in a marsh after wandering away from an underage drinking party in the woods.
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A 16-year old independent thinker at a "house party" at 5am.... where were the independent thinking parents, or the adults responsilbe for the party house?
16 years old and she's out until 5a.m.? Where are the parents?
it was in a small pond in andover that she drowned
Sorry about the news
Deja vu :( I'm not even going to tell teens not to drink... but for the love of God, do not allow your friends to stumble away alone. How tragic & unavoidable.
Why would a 16 year old girl leave a house at 5am, on foot, with no coat, 32 miles from home and 25 miles from school. Something bad happened in that house.
This is parents not paying attention, plain and simple
Is anyone asking why this young woman was being transferred? What about her case could Lawrence Hospital not manage? What could they gain in transferring her?
What a horrible tragedy. I feel sick and I don't even know anybody involved.
a terrible thing to happen, but the lack of information on where the home owners were at the time of this incident, or whether or not they were drinking speaks volumes...
Where were her parents? Considering Andover is miles away from Wellesley (or the Academy) were they NOT concerned about her being out that late? Attending a private school does not negate the responsibility parents have to their children. I am sorry for their loss, but shame on them for allowing this to occur. Shame on the parents of the house where the party occurred. The state should file charges of neglect against all adults involved.
My prayers go out to this family during this very difficult time...
what is going on here
the pond wasnt in concord
it is in andover MA
this story has had so much conflicting info
Why weren't the parents paying attention?
So many kids.
When are kids going to realize that no matter how sophisticated and adult you thin you are, you still need a buddy system. you don't let a friend drive drunk, or stumble home at 5AM.
Even in the case of Natalie Holloway, a 16 year old partying in the islands, she had friends, but they didn't look after her.
You have to look out for your fiends - especially when they've been drinking and their judgment is impaired.
When will kids learn?
My heart goes out to the family, but honestly, when will anyone learn from these tragic incidents?
I'm sorry, but until you're `18 years old, adult rules don't apply. You're still a kid.
Lawrence hospital does not have ECMO... A life saving measure which a lot of hospitals don't have. Plus, Lawrece is not that great of a hospital compared to Boston's....
So sad...
so tired of hearing "shame on the parents"
do not know what happened, kids do stupid things, good kids, smart kids.
I think most people grow up in spite of themselves.
My son had a party at 16, his father went out of town, leaving him at the home of another friend, and with the knowledge and consent of friends mother to "watch" him. They sneaked out, went to the empty house, had a party, and in the newspaper(where I read about the account) I first heard the term Philly blunt. quite a party, what a nightmare, we were just LUCKY no one was hurt.
Yep, it was an unsupervised party, but short of chaining him up, what should have happened?
How tragic that a life of a promising girl was cut so short
Concord Academy is in Concord, not Andover. She could have been a day or boarding student, though why someone from Wellesley or Concord would send their children to CA has always perplexed me. CA is an excellent school however, it's hard to imagine what CA has that CCHS or WHS doesn't!
She died in Concord. I live in this area and it NEVER ceases to amaze me that kids are out all night w/out parents' knowledge or are out with their complicity. When my dd was a student here, parties were here and my husband and I were home. Always. It's not that hard.
Try to see the whole picture. She attended Concord Academy, where students' families purchase room and board, therefore the students live on campus. Give the parents a break. This is a sad enough story.
Why does everybody reflexively blame her parents? Perhaps she told them she was staying at a friend's house or something similar. Anything is possible. I thnk her parents are in enough pain without unfounded judgement. Why does something sinister have to have happened in the house? Maybe she'd been drinking, and had a simple disagreement with someone, or thought, in her impaired state, that she wanted to go for a walk.
A very sad event, and my thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
disturbing trend...wake up call for all of us...it can happen anywhere and it is happening and we as a society do not see that abuse (one two many), no matter the source as in this case booze, had a tragic ending. WAKE UP PEOPLE
Parents: Ask the uncomfortable questions.
NEVER let kids to an overnight party without parents there.
Stupid parents don't send kids to Concord Academy.
So it is not stupidity. Sounds like parents assumed a parent was home and supervising. Afraid to ask the question? Or afraid of the answer and having to say NO?
Of course, I'm just speculating, and probably unfairly.
This is a horrible tragedy.
However, come on people wake up! She probably told her parents she was sleeping over at a friends' house. Let's also assume that the friend told her parents she was sleeping at the victims' house. The two go to a party at someone's house (who's parents were probably away, people do that you know, leave their "responsible" teens home alone while they go away for the weekend), where alcohol is usually served, it gets late, one girl wants to leave the other doesn't. You get the picture.
What I'm trying to point out here is that the parents? May of been totally cluesless to everything and not because they are bad parents or neglectful but because they, you know, believed their children.
My heart goes out to the grieving family.
You people know NOTHING about the family of this young lady and you should be ashamed of your smug, stupid, self-righteous no-nothing comments.
Lets get real. How many underage kids get drunk at the weekend? Thousands. How often is there a fatality? Very rarely. Lets get some perspective here.
They said her boy friend was there with her. Why didn't he look out for her?????????????????
16year old girl at a sleep over, I'm sure you have all heard of that. I'm sure there is more to this story but in order to investigate they are certainly not going to put everything out there! It's easier to judge people when you are not involved. Pray for the family, that's the best thing anyone can do.
oof.... this is intense and scary. I agree with whoever mentioned the whole "don't let a friend stumble off alone." cause it's true!
and to those saying stuff like "where were her parents??!"
all she needed to say was "I'm sleeping over at ___'s house tonight." And they would be clueless about any party.
My daughter is 17 and has been gulty of going to these house parties. A lot of kids do this. The parents I am sure were unaware this party was planned. With the internet and text messaging it does not take long for one of these parties to be planned. This is a shame this happened. I told my daughter that we cannot be with you all the time. You have to use good judgement. Act responsible. If you are going succumb to peer pressure and drink you better call or get a ride home and never get in a car with a drunk driver. The internet needs to be monitored and the kids need to be punished when caught.
I love how judgemental everyone is in the comment blog.
We don't know what happened. We have no clue the dynamics of the party. Yet, we can be cruel to someone who has lost a child.
I hope that you never find yourselves in the same situation as this family.
My heart goes out to this family.
I would be more surprised if it came out that she hadn't been drinking alcohol, than if it comes out that she had. She must've been drunk to go out wandering in an area she's not familiar with, no sober person would do that and end face down in a pond.
It's such a waste on a young life to end like this. I feel sorry for her parents cause I'm sure they're being blamed for not "watching" their kid. All teenagers lie about what they're doing, and where they're going, so I don't think this can be blamed on the parent, cause you can't have parents walk their teenages on a leash 24/7.
And another thing. These kids use sleep overs at their friends houses to fool the parents into thinking they are warm and cozy. You cannot always blame the parents.
Something doesn't add up here.
Does anyone really believe that she left that party of her own volition? Are the police dumb enough to fall for the story of the other "partgoers"?
First let me pass along my deepest symapthies to the familes. May you find a a way to get through these incredibly difficult times. Those of you who wish to write things here about the parents and everything else without ANY knowledge of what took place.... GO BACK TO YOUR HOLES!!!!! If you think you know EVERYTHING your kids do at every moment then you better take a long look in the mirror.
What is going here is the same thing that goes on every weekend across the country. A young girl told her parents she was staying over a friends house, and technically she was. Unfortunately she apparently had way too much of something or other and wandered off and passed out in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everyone is so quick to play the blame game. It's just a horrible tragedy involving someone too young to know better but old enough to get herself in some serious trouble. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.
Everyone always wants to blame the parents. Maybe the parents went away for the weekend or an overnight stay and trusted their children and didn't know an all night party was going to take place. She probably told her parents she was going to a sleepover. We usually tend to believe our children, especially if they are respectful and not troublesome children......it's not always the parents blame! Anyone who has teenagers knows this....I am sorry for everyone involved, it is a tragedy for everyone!
It says the pond is in Andover, the girl went to Concord Academy - first 2 paragraphs of the story.
don't speak about things you know nothing of. she was extraordinary. it is none of your business what lead her to or from the party. do not judge her suffering parents because of such an unreal tragedy.
Lizzy was a lovely girl growing up with our daughter. We knew her since she was doing figure skating (4th grade) in Babson. She was always smiling and very charming..., we can't belive what really happened to her. Our prayers go out to her family...
did she attend Wellesley Middle School? Thank you...Sorry for what seems like a trite question at this time.
I do not have kids but do remember when I was teen I would tell my parents I was going to a place they approved of and then went to a place they did not approve of. There were times when my parents were away for a weekend and believed my siblings and I could be left alone unsupervised, we were all mid to late teenagers, but we shouldn't have been. Like many teenagers I was a tragedy waiting to happen, but thankfully it didn't. Thankfully for most it doesn't. This screaming where were the parents isn't going to make this better for anybody.
The sad thing is she died in three feet of partially frozen water not five minutes from the house she left! Plus she is the second teen in the Boston area to die this way! J
I think it's sad that everyone is blaming the adults as if they purposely harmed this girl. This unfortuate and tragic incident was probably avoidable, but let's pray for the family that they may find comfort during this extremely difficult time.
Oh come on, you can't blame this on her parents. Do you think she asked them, "Can I get hammered in the town over tonight?" PLENTY of times in my high school career me and my friends and just about every other kid lied to our parents or snuck out or what not to go to a party at someones house, someones whose parents were not home and did not know. You have absolutely no right to place the blame on her parents or the parents of the kid who had the party.
This is all too sad but I agree with many of the posts here...where were the parents? Wealth does not negate responsibility for children....but visit Andover and you will get a taste of it...an incredible sense of entitlement. Though this young lady was not a student in Andover, she was unfortunate enough to be at a suspected unsupervised party. Where were her parents? They let a 16 year old stay out until 5AM?
Parents...wake up sign. If we don't demonstrate good decision making...how can our children? We all need to realize they are still children..they need supervision...they are the most important part of our lives and not easily replaced.
very tragic.... my mother's heart breaks for the parents of this young girl. There but for the Grace of God go too many of us - however I agree with the other posters - where were the parents? what was going on? What was wrong with her friends??
how many teenagers were at the party and who was playing the parent
roll ---I believe there was drining and probably drugs------
blame the homeowner for responsibility and their children;
Shame on all of you for jumping to conclusions about her parents. I know one of them and no one deserves to lose a child. You should be ashamed of yourselves and quit judging others.
Many of you have no idea what went out that night, none of us do. But for the love of God, at least show some respect. I knew her. She was a nice girl, and she didn't deserve this.
I agree the parents that the party was at should be help criminaly liable and also the parents of the girl for not making sure things were supervised.
it is a tuff thing to say dont belive everything you kids tell you !! check out the validity of what they say, it makes them more respectful of you cause you care and use these sad instances as an example to show you do care, how can they argue with that !!! If they do then you have every right not to trust them because they are hideing something, trust me I have learned the hard way by trusting too much
This is truly a tragedy. To blame the parents when such little evidence and details are given is ridiculous. For all you know, the parents thought she was sleeping over the house, not "out till 5am". My sympathies go to the family and her friends.
These comments are ridiculous. The family is obviously experiencing a tragedy that is beyond most people's comprehension. To start to blame them is crazy. I know when I was a teenager, I would stay over people's houses and my parents were none the wiser as to what we were actually doing. I'm sure her parents didn't condone her being out at an all night party. Just offer your condolences and don't judge, because this could happen to any family w/ teenagers and if you think it couldn't, then you are fooling yourself.
I wonder if those who ask 'where were the parents' have kids of their own. Sleepovers are fairly common, and fairly safe. Bad things happen and we can second guess everyone involved, but the truth is, something like this can happen no matter how protective you are. (unless of course you lock your kids in the basement).
Very sad story, and one that most parents fear in their worst nightmares. I have small kids now, and I worry about their teen years, because we all know the preponderance of kids this age drinking, feeling invincilbe, etc. But, I'm so tired of parents who say "oh, they're gonna drink anyway, so why not let them drink at home?" Hopefully this is at least a house party that was "illegal" and not condoned by any parent(s) ... if not, then I say "hang them high!" Adults are supposed to be responsible for all kids' safety who are in their home, or in their supervision.
Kids told police she was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts, no coat, when she left the house. Something must have upset her, drinking was involved, and she clearly wanted "OUT." Kids watched her leave and didn't stop her!!!!!
WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE GO AFTER HER??? Why did they wait 2 hours before calling the police? Where were the host parents? They let a party with 16 year olds go on until 5:00 AM???? My God, these are babies.
It is so infuriating to hear people write "where are the parents". They are going through the worst time of their lives loosing a child. Did you ever think that the girl told her parents that she was staying at a friends house??? There are so many other scenarios that she could have said. It sickens me to know that the people that write "where are the parents" know the whole story!! not
My prayers are with the family
Half the problem with kids today is lack of personal responsibility. I am only 28 but I grew up in a working class section of Brooklyn (recently taken over by wealthy spolied brats). My father always used to tell me to remember where I cam from, remember the fact that your grandparents were called wops, and spit on. Remember the fact that your father works his gut off at the shipyards, remember the neighborhood where most people you know will never get out of. Most kids (many adults my age) never really grew up struggling or suffering. Their lives were manufactured and no matter what the did be it drugs, booze, sex they will never fail. Maybe its time parents around here to stop managing their kids lives, teaching them their special and actually show them how cruel the world can be. With the economy tanking I fear most of these suburbanites won't last to long.
I am so sorry for your loss Sue and Ed, I know we don't know each other well
but I would not wishes anything bad happen to my ex-neighbors. And may
God watch over all of us.
the conflicting info doesn't matter. the bad decisions don't matter. nothing excuses this horrible tragedy and the people involved. my condolences to the family, a lot of my friends knew lizzie and this event has really shaken up our school. please think before you write.
At some point we have to realize that our approach to alcohol and teenagers is wrong. Teenagers should be allowed to drink in SUPERVISED situations, it would be better if the kids drank in a situation where they could enjoy a glass or two of wine with food while chatting instead of going out to the woods or when no adult is present.
I think the parents thought she was at a sleepover at a friend's home.
I suggest that before any more of you make ill-informed and extraordinarily callous comments castigating her parents and the residents of the house where the party was that you wait to hear further details. It is just as plausible that the party was well-planned and in-hand, and that a simple spat led her to leave with the intention of coming back. None of us readers/news listeners yet know enough about what happened to form any judgments, so please cease your pontifications until you do.
The story states "was found face-down in a partially frozen Andover brook". The school she attended is Concord Academy. I don't see anything conflicting.
The evening news stated there were no adults home at the house she was at.
Very very sad, and very unfortunate.
All of you that keep asking "where are the parents" should really shut their mouths. You have no idea or don't remember how resourceful kids are at convincing their parents that they are one place (sleeping at a friends)when they are really at another. How awful you are to condemn them. We are not talking about 8 year old's here? What's wrong with you people.
Why must people look for blame and questions decisions so quickly? You don't know what happened, there is more than one side to every story. This is a time for compassion. Let the professional handle to questioning and doubt. RIP, Lizzy
Our kids need to be the first priority in our lives; not the second or third, after our jobs and other pursuits. If this had been the case here, this girl would have been in contact with her parents, either by cell phone or text, and, the house parents would have been home to supervise. What a waste!
I attended school with Elizabeth- she was in 7th grade and I was in the grade above. We played on a sports team together- I knew her well at the time. She was a great girl, with a big heart. To all of you who would like to blame the parents, that is understandable, under circumstances such as this it is natural to place the blame upon others, but at a time like this, don't look for the faults; recognize that this event is tragic and many people have felt the impact of this loss. Everyone makes mistakes, Lizzy's mistake happened to be fatal. No one is impervious to their own imperfections. Her mistake of attending this party was unwise, but to you adults- don't you remember being 16 once? Let's not look to chastize those who are at fault, but rather, let's mourn the loss of a child who is paying the ultimate price.
"She leaves behind all too early a loving family,"
Obviously not that loving. No responsible parent should let a child out that late. Leaving a party at 5am in inexcusable.
It's easy to blame the parents, but a lot of people are jumping to conclusions. I'm guessing the parents were out of town and thought they could leave their late teens home. Maybe their kids organized a party behind their back..... I'm not saying the parents had no role in this but I bet there are literally hundreds of parents who can and do safely leave their 16-18 year old children home for a night. As a point of reference, my father joined WW II at age 16, it's not like they were leaving toddlers home. Instead of kicking around the parents we should feel for them and their awful loss.
A young girl died, something that should never happen to a child.
Keep your negative comments to yourself, and show respect. We don't know the full story, but if it says icy pond there's many possibilities, such as slipping and falling.
so learn to be respectful, what if it was your daughter, friend, or sibling?
just be thankful it isn't, and pray for her.
I find many of the comments here to be heartless and insensitive. Rushing to condemn the grieving family with so little information is an outrage. I felt nothing but sadness reading the article and reflecting on the vulnerability of teenagers.
My heart goes out to both families... what a tragic loss..
This is in response to Mark (#11). You are assuming her parents did not care that she was out that late. She likely lied and said she was sleeping one place when she was at another place. Maybe sadly they did not call and confirm with the other parents, but let's not put blame on her parents right now. Who knows what lies were told. Maybe even the parents that owned the house where the party was thought there child was somewhere else. Maybe more phone calls should have been made policing the children's location, but we all know kids lie to parents, Lets not be ignorant in our assumptions at this point.
first i would like to say that i have every sympathy for the girl's family. however, as tragic as this is, i don't understand why every time a drunk teenage white girl drowns after wandering from a party, it is front page news. the violence that is a routine occurence in boston is placed on the back burner. the answer is because this is a human interest story...the flower of white youth in all its glorious potential cut down all too soon...it is a tragedy to be sure. those poor black kids cutting eachother up in boston? they had it coming, apparently. that is why it is not considered front page news-worthy by the globe.
Did any of you ever lie to your parents and say you were staying over a friends' house, but instead went to a party? Maybe lay off the parents and realize that quite possibly they were trying their hardest to keep their daughter out of trouble. Other factors, in addition to drinking and drugs, need to be considered, too, like teen suicide.
I went to school with Lizzie. I graduated last year, and I just saw her in December when I went to visit. I love the Concord Academy community. Chameleons stay strong!
There, by the grace of God, go I. Do not criticize this girl's parents. They probably thought that their daughter was safely staying overnight at a friend's house and the parents were home. And they most likely did not know it was an all night unsupervised party. The parents at the home in Andover may not have even known there was a party at their home. The details of the night have not been revealed and may never be. Any one who is the parent of a teenager should never criticize another, because it could be you in a moment. May God bless this girl and her family. Her life is over and so is theirs.
Stop blaming the parents. If you are a parent who thinks their kid does not drink you are probably wrong. If you can imagine what the parents are going through have the respect and maturity not to bash their parenting. I send my condolences.
Please stop pointing blame when you don't know the whole story. Yes its a devastating loss, I know, I was friends with Lizzy. But you have to give her parents more slack. The family loves her very much and is heartbroken over her death. Sometimes parents don't know everything- even the kids with the most dedicated and protective parents keep secrets and can wind up in trouble. Also, absolutely nothing has been confirmed, to the public at least, and I don't blame the family for keeping privacy. There are rumors flying around about different things happening, so don't automatically assume which people were to blame. Let the investigators do their job. The big picture is: a kind, funloving 16-year-old girl is dead. RIP Lizzy Mun, I will never forget you. :*(
I wonder why anyone thinks they have the right to judge or comment here. Such big egos we have-leave these people alone.
Person above making these comments about white girls drowning making the news- you are so far from wrong. Lizzy wasn't even white, so stop making assumptions. Everyone needs to stop making assumptions and pointing blame. Lizzy Mun, my friend, is dead.
I pulled the I'm sleeping over so in so's at that age, and the problem is that parents do not check in with the parents at the place their teen says they are staying over. So what if your teen has a cell phone, checking in with them is NOT enough. Call the parent of the friend to make sure the sleep over is truly taking place. As far as the parents who leave overnight and trust their kid not to have a party, they need to tell neighbors they are going away and to call them and the police if they see cars and what looks to be a party inside. Tell your teen NO guests while you are out, that is not being too strict, it's smart!
There is nothing worse than losing a child, no matter what the circumstance. We have no clue as to the actual circumstance, but does it matter? Another child is lost, another family decimated. We can be in our houses every night for the many years our children are home, we can try everything possible to protect them from themselves and the dangers of the 'outside world' and in the end, we hold our breath and pray that our kids will be safe from harm. Reality is, we can do our very best, hope that it works, nothing more. Reality is, one little misstep is all it takes. I am grateful that it was not my family, and say prayers to God for the family of Elizabeth Mun
I am sick about this news. I am also sick of all the losers who post on Boston.com. They should not allow people to respond to this. The family is most likely going through hell and to have some fat loser...commenting on their dead daughter. Why do people feel the need to criticize...does it make you feel better about your life? Do you think that this could not happen to your family? Do you think you are safe...you not. JUDGE AND YOU SHALL BE JUDGED. Ask yourself if you would ever have the guts to say what you are saying face to face...My guess is no. God help you....and pray I never meet you.
Every one of you scumbags who are bashing the parents had better call their son/daughter every hour on the hour, or look in their room to see what they're doing, and post what they're doing right now - or else, you're all hypocrites.
If you're friend i smashed..says shes going to walk home to WELLESLEY from ANDOVER..and you don't see something wrong with that...you're ridiculous.
It makes me so mad that these stupid girls didn't watch out for her. and her boyfriend was there? wow.
She "abruptly" left the party at 5 am? Why?
Obviously this is a tragedy, but why is everyone so quick to blame the girl's parents or the parents where the party was held? Their kids probably lied about what they were doing, and the parents should not be held responsible. As stated before, how many Massachusetts teens went to parties this weekend and got drunk? Thousands? And how many died? There's something called personal responsibility, and though we may like to pretend this doesn't go on....it does
parents can never be tooooo careful these days in these awful times
the parents should have investigated more where she was staying how she was getting ther an getting back to school
the parents shoulf have also talked to the other parents of the house the girl was going to.
I wonder if Concord Academy ( a really good school by the way) will get any blame or investigation on how the girl cheked out of her dorm for the weekend and if the parents even called to school (or dorm parent to confirm)...???
Parents slip up sometimes, i get that and understand that. It's your job as a parent to make your child safe and to control them. As children, especially teenagers, we make serious mistakes and we dispoint our parents and we loose the trust that we once had. And sadly, sometimes, some mistakes end up with someone dead.......wether that mistake was the girl going to the party with parents not to involved OR the partygoers at the party (drinking, smoking, drugs, sex...) this event is a wakeup call for schools, parents and teenagers..........BE SAFE and MAKE GOOD DESCISIONS
here's another theory: maybe the girl did go to a party with the parents not really knowing exaclty what was going on.......then maybe the girl realized that the party was getting tooo out of hand and so she left.....but where to, she's not anywhere near here school or house??? Myabr the girl did the right thing to leave the party and this event is a slap in the face for the partygoers that they did some really bad things that night!!!!!!!!
OH WELL......LIFE IS A CABARET!!!!!!!!! i am sorry for the family's loss.
Blame the parents who do not teach their kids to make good decisions. They give them more freedom than they are able to handle because they want their kids to be the 'cool' ones. I am totally disgusted by parents and kids today and glad my children are grown successful decent human beings who were raised with rules, boundaries, consequences, accountability, expectations and parents who felt it was their job to keep their kids safe and not 'cool'.
anyone who leaves a 16-year old home alone for a night or a weekend is just asking for trouble.
OMG - All of these people blaming the parents of the girl need to wake up! I'm thinking they are all parents of toddlers ( and have an idealistic fantasy about raising the perfect child ).I am pretty sure the parents didn't know she was at a drinking party and walking around outside at 5am in the dead of winter - hello...And a 16 year old should be able to make wise choices - something went on in that house that made her leave. It's easy to judge until you are the one in the position they are in - have a little compassion.
As usual, quite a few of these comments are appalling. Consider taking a deep breath and summon some empathy before judging the parents. This is a horrible tragedy, but there's no reason to assume neglect at this point. I was raised in a home with two wonderful, loving and 'involved' parents, yet still I did some things they couldn't have known about when I was 15 to 17 years old.
I don't get it. When I was that age (10 years ago) my mother would CALL my friends parents to make sure I was indeed staying there and not LYING and telling her I was staying there while going to a keg party instead. Of course your kids are going to lie to you ...it is your job as a parent to follow up on things. DAMN. Parents need to get a damn handle on their responsibilities. Sad, sad, sad.
Everyone is looking for someone to blame. A young girl has died in a tradgedy and instead of reaching out to her family and friends as a community the majority of you are looking for someone to point your fingers at. How stupid her parents must have been to be fooled by their daughter. How dumb Lizzy was to drink in the first place. How selfish of her friends to enjoy themselves without her.
How irresponsible of us as a community not to point the finger at ourselves.
In an earlier story they mention that when Lizzy left at 5am she had gotten a phone call and her friends had gone to stop her as soon as they realized she had left. They were responsible and called the police after they couldn't find her. She was a day student (I believe) so the school has no authority over her once she leaves for the day (except fo drug and alcohol policies).
Get the facts before you speculate.
I
All these posts really bother me. She was a high school student at a party. WHAT A SURPRISE?! Leave her family alone. Leave her friends/boyfriend alone, clearly you do not know that they went looking for her, couldn't find her and called the police within the hour. They were part of the reason that Lizzy became the beautiful young lady that she was. It was a freak accident that took the lives of one of the most amazing people I've ever met. Blaming people wont bring her back. Discussing CAs credentials, come on. Get some class.
16, 17, 18 they are the most dangerous years..I'm a parent of a 17 year old and I pray all the time
Friend #82. As a person who has lost someone close to me(like you) and have had hurtful comments posted on Boston.com about the event take my advice...dont read this crap. In a few days all these losers will move on to the next blog...and will spew their BS about some other topic. It's EZ for them to talk SHHHHHHHHH.
You have bigger things to deal with now.
Authorities said the girl was found near Warwick Circle, which is on the opposite side of the pond from William Street. The street opens into a wooded area that has a small stream running through it. The narrow stream was filled with muck, but the water was flowing yesterday, amid snow banks and trees.
Makes me question as to whether she took a car ride to get away from the "gathering" only to be taken against her will in "a wooded area"
Thank God they at least took all the keys from the partygoers. When will parents ever learn??
The majority of these comments come from people who do not know the details behind this tragedy and have no connection to Lizzy or anyone involved. Keep your disrespect to yourself. Now is not the time to be criticizing, but the time to be reaching out to the people harmed because of this. No one wants to know who you find at fault or what you think could have been done, people are blaming themselves enough as it is. A girl died and her friends, family, and community have been changed forever, if you wish to extend your sympathy thats one thing, but keep the judgment to yourself.
I live right near the home where the party occurred in Andover.
William street is a dead end (and has a sidewalk down almost the whole street). The party occurred at the dead end of the street, where there is a circle for turning around. If she wanted to get away from the party, she could walk down the street, but instead she walked behind the house towards the woods where the Hussey Brook Pond is located.
There's definitely more to this story. If she was there all night (whether drinking, drugs, or even sober), why leave then, why leave without a coat and why leave in that direction? Something caused her to leave "abruptly" (I fear what it might be) and the alcohol/drugs must have impaired her judgment.
It's tragic, and I find it hard to believe she left the party alone.
How on earth do so many of you know there were no parents home? Have none of you ever gone to a sleepover? Parents do not stay up all night for sleepovers, and kids do all sorts of sneaky things. It's possible the parents were there and assumed the kids were just going to watch movies and chat, as they had done many times before. If the kids invited more kids after the parents went to bed, how could you blame them? So many houses have basement rec rooms that it would be possible to have a party with sleeping parents upstairs. Happens all the time. Until you know for sure that there was negligence involved, you could be acting a bit kinder.
My deepest sympathy to the parents and extended family. The true shame is that we make alcohol so verbotten that kids rebel by drinking too much. And kids tend to think they are immortal. That nothing really bad can happen to them. There was a similar case recently in Plainville. Weeks after a 17 year old died after drinking at a party (by drowing in shallow water), many of her friends were arrested for underage drinking, wearing rubber bracelets the deceased girl's mother had made in her daughter's memory. Perhaps the parents didn't do enough, perhaps they simply assumed they could trust their daughter. Not for me to say. For now I simply wish them peace.
How dare you. I cannot believe you are already placing blame. This is an absolute tragedy and her parents do not need any of your useless comments about parenting skills. The details aren't all out yet so please think before you begin to judge, try thinking about what her parents are going throught they DO NOT need any criticsm they are obviously going through enough pain as it it. This is not the place to leave harsh comments, keep them to yourselves.
I am the same age as the girl who died and I know what goes on and I know a lot of times things are not as they seem. So please stop making assumptions on the grils character based only on stereotypes. You have no idea what kind of party it was every party is not a "keg party"
I know I'm just repeating what people have said before me, but this is just infuriating. No one but the police know all the facts right now. So stop guessing and making judgments! Stop blaming Lizzie, stop blaming her parents, stop blaming the school! Just understand that we who are involved has lost something irreplaceable: Lizzie.
You'd think by reading these posts that more than 50% of people think that if the parents had been more careful they could have prevented her from going to a party... and yet somehow at least 95% of high school kids go to parties where alcohol is served. Figure out that math. Either the people who think the parents can always prevent their kids from drinking have kids who lie to them, or they don't have kids (and therefore haven't got a leg to stand on).
It's a tragedy. Imagine it were you. Think about it until it makes you cry. Learn from it....
Parents, talk to your teenagers about it. Talk to them with the tears still in your eyes. Take long pauses, allow for awkward silences. Let it sink in. Make them remember this tragic moment so that when they are drunk at 5 am, as they will almost inevitably be, they will remember that they are mortal.
Truly a tragedy. Though we don't know the details, it would be surprising if alcohol or drugs were not involved. I also suspect something happened at the party (sexual assault maybe?) that hasn't been brought to light that led to her leaving so abruptly.
It's easy to sit here and blame the grieving family in this situation. I'm sure they're the first ones to think to themselves, "What could have we done different". Every weekend, thousands of kids will lie to their parents about where they're going (like I did at 16) and go out drinking or taking drugs (like I did at 16) and almost all of them will make it home, no worse for the wear besides maybe sleeping in late and a headache. It's easy to sit here and pass judgment on this family, asking where they are in all of this, but I'm sure some of you on this board have children that age and I'm sure some of you have been lied to about where your children were going from time to time. It's very easy to sit and pass judgment from behind a computer screen. What's hard is knowing you maybe could have stopped your child from dying and having to live with the decisions you made that may have helped to prevent this if something else was done.
Have we become so insensitive a society that we condemn the bereaved to satisfy our own moral soapboxes? Those of you that are sitting on here and condemning the family are absolutely pathetic and should take a healthy look at your own lives. You make me sick.
Why gamble as though our lives are but a thing to win or lose?
When it can be clearly held that life, love and liberty is all we can forever hold dearly :)
Very sorry to read this. High school drinking parties are all too common and usually take place when parents are away. So this happened at Concord Academy where most students also board. These young adults cannot be stopped and parents don't know where they party. Can't blame the parents; can only blame the kids and demand more oversight and communication from the administration to the students. A very sad tragedy.
if lizzie was as great and caring as her father is a surgeon then heaven has another angel in its mist. My thoughs and prayers are with dr mun and his family.
My condolences to the Mun Family. What a tragic event to occur, for it has saddened many communities [Wellesley, Concord Academy]. Something upsetting must have occurred at the Andover home, for she "left abruptly at 5am." The parents of that Andover home are irresponsible to leave teenagers unsupervised/unattended.
I went to school with this girl last year and it sickens me that people are so quick to place blames. She was a wonderful girl. Her family and friends and the CA community must be so devastated by this lost. RIP Lizzie and my greatest condolence to her family and friends. I hope her family are not reading these uncaring and harsh posts, because I can't imagine they aren't wondering why they didn't do things differently and why their daughter had to died. I wish people would think before they post these insensitive comments. Losing a love one is always a tragedy and the emotional breakdowns, I hope never to experience.
My deepest condolences go out the to Mun family.
And thank you to all those people who are supporting the family in this moment and not criticizing them. Please don't make uninformed comments. As some of you have said, this isn't a time to point fingers. This is a sad time at Concord Academy as we grief for the loss of Lizzy.
My condolences and prayers to the Mun family and friends. With that said, I think it is totally absurd that people are making criticism of the parents, assuming facts that does not exist yet ( drug & alcohols ), it is entirely possible others are drunk and she is trying to get away but did not make it. If she left at 5:00 am and police did not start a search until 7:00 am, maybe there is a lot more to this story. Why the delay ? ( trying to get their story straight ) did she really left at 5:00 am or something happen much earlier. Maybe Andover police should treat this a possible crime instead of an accident.
What a heart breaker for everyone involved. Amazing how those of us looking in have opinions of what should or shouldn't of happened at that event. I can't imagine the what ifs? Lizzie's friends, the adults, friends parents, anyone connected to the young people at that event are now reliving and wishing that they could change things. Sadly immaturity isn't a crime it's a stage, it's part of the journey to maturity. . For all those young people who were at that event, they will forever carry this grim memory. I pray for them all. Find a postive way to support these families in their darkest hour of this tradegy. We all can learn from this heartbreaking loss and remember maturity doesn't happen it develops over a long period of time. God bless all of you who were at that event, may God comfort you and help you find peace.
Alcohol was found... calling all lawyers!
Due to the content most comments are repulsive. At the time there is
no airs and room for making prejudgements. The best way to manage this by
helping reducing the weight of sadness, which overwhelmed the family in an
such hard and abrupt way. Nobody else but the parents know how
profound the pain appears to them. If you are well thought and somehow
intellected, stop keepin accusing or whatsoever it might be. If you ever had
judgement of human nature, you ougt to follow this track and do not forget to
put forth your offer of condolences. . Be a wise man.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Miss Mun.