Mysterious death rattles community
Eighth-grader who complained he wasn't feeling well never woke up
6 comments below
"He told his little brother Nicholas that he had a really bad headache and his heart hurt," recalled his grandmother, Arlene Leone. "Then he said he didn't feel good, so he went to bed."
He never woke up.
Now the circumstances surrounding the 14-year-old Mount Sinai Middle School student's death have left his family and police investigators with a lot of questions, as rumors spread throughout the community that William's death may have been drug related. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet determined a cause of death for William, according to Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick, commander of the Suffolk County Police Department's homicide squad. Det. Lt. Fitzpatrick added that until the ME's investigation is complete, investigators cannot rule out the possibility that drugs may have been involved.
"We are conducting an investigation," he said.
The results of a toxicology screening on William's remains are not expected to be completed for several weeks.
"They don't know what it was," Arlene said. "Everything is pending.
"He was such a good kid."
William's aunt, Jolene, who lived downstairs from his mother, found him unconscious and administered CPR to attempt to revive him, but to no avail. He was then taken to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he was declared dead at about 3 p.m., according to his grandmother.
"We are going to miss him dearly," his grandmother said.
Hundreds of mourners -- including many of his classmates from the middle school, where he played football -- packed St. Louis de Montfort R.C. Church in Sound Beach to pay their final respects to William last Friday.
"He was an angel," said Port Jefferson Station resident Joann Devereaux, whose son, John, was friends with William. "He was a sweet, sweet boy and he had so much going for him. Our hearts will be forever broken. I don't know how I will heal from this."
Mount Sinai School District superintendent Anthony Bonasera said Tuesday that administrators set up a "crisis center" and made counseling available the Monday following William's death to aid students and staff in dealing with his death. Dr. Bonasera called William's passing a tragic event and empathized with the students' feelings, recalling a classmate of his named Rod who died 47 years ago.
"I'm sure the students will remember 'Will' the same as I remember 'Rod,'ââ" he said.
William was unique, his family said. He listened to heavy-metal bands like Kiss and Judas Priest. He could work a Bobcat loader and was an avid fisherman.
"He was a unique kid," Jolene said.
Ms. Devereaux, who intends to help her children's friends organize a tree planting in William's honor, said he was only ever concerned with taking care of his family. The one thing in particular that sticks out in Ms. Devereaux's mind is the ritual he carried out at every football game. He would first look for his family and then wave to them, and then, she said, William would give Joann and her husband, John, "the nod."
"He would always give us 'the nod'ââ" she said. "I don't know why, but I'll always think of that."
Jolene said that she and family members would like to think of her nephew now as a guardian angel of sorts.
"He had a piece of everybody's heart," Jolene said. "There was something about him that everyone loved."
William's family members have asked that anyone who wishes to make a charitable donation in his honor can do so through Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson Station.
peggy@northshoresun.com
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6 comments found
Dumb! : 1/1/2010
What do you expect when the parents are drug abusers? helloooooo
Mysterious death rattles community : 12/22/2009
You mean typical long island "Grand-parenting".... they were raising the kid because their daughter and son in law, (if they ever got married) was a drug abuser big time I've heard.
eff off : 12/10/2009
who ever u r talkn all dat n not knoin wat ur talkn bout u needa mind ur biz n go do sumn w.urself. let me find out who u r ;)
: 11/5/2009
great typical long island parenting, sad really.
are you kidding : 11/1/2009
Shut up.... william was one of my bestfriend's....he's dead now...would you want people questioning that about you after your son just died ? where were you? keep your comments to your self.
Hum! : 9/19/2009
Where were the parents? If this child had pain why wasn't he examined until the next afternoon?
