Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, along with Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, State Representatives Nika Elugardo, Brandy Fluker Oakley, Russell Holmes, Liz Miranda, and Boston City Councilors At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George, Michelle Wu, and Julia Mejia, and Boston City Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Andrea Campbell, sent a letter to Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan requesting a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the recent death of Mikayla Miller, a 16-year-old Hopkinton resident who was found dead in the woods not far from her home on April 18.

“Nearly two months after Mikayla’s death, the greater Boston community is still grieving the tragic loss of this young life and questions remain unanswered about the full circumstances that led to her death,” the elected officials wrote. “While we understand that the medical examiner’s office has determined that the cause of her death was suicide, reports about those circumstances have made closure hard to find for Mikayla’s family and the community.”  

In their letter, the elected officials specifically questioned whether Mikayla’s death was a hate crime and if she was driven to suicide due to bullying because of her race and sexual orientation.

“An independent investigation will help not only to answer those questions, but will also help to restore the trust that has been broken by the lack of transparency in the investigation currently carried out by your office and Hopkinton Police,” the elected officials continued. “Any loss of life, especially that of a young person, is a tragic event and must be thoroughly investigated. By commissioning an independent investigation into Mikayla’s death, we can prevent the further erosion of trust and help Mikayla’s loved ones find the healing that every family deserves after a loss.”

To read the full text of the letter, click here.

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