YORK COUNTY, Va. - The death of a 12-year-old boy in Yorktown in April is raising questions in the community.
Sean Daugherty was in the sixth grade, loved his family, swimming, and playing video games, according to Jared and Ramona Rivas, Sean's stepfather and mother.
“He loved to read and he could read a lot faster than I can, he was just an amazing person, he was great in school and the teachers loved him,” Jared said.
According to authorities, on April 14, 2022, Sean was found in the backyard of his Yorktown home, hanging from a swing set. According to the autopsy report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Sean was suspended from a "shoelace-type" string, with a bag over his head, and his arms secured by his sides with a belt. He was found wearing his stepfather's clothes, shoeless, with no glasses on.
His stepfather and mother tell News 3 how he was found are just the first of many questions.
“He was watching his two-year-old brother, he loved him so much he would never leave him, he was reading his book that he just checked out from the library that day, he did his homework and submitted for the next day, he took out a snack that he never ate, he started to take out the garbage that he never finished,” said Ramona.
Jared said they counted 17 things that were out of place that day.
“We lost our son and we have these hundreds and hundreds of unanswered questions that should have been answered by now,” Jared said.
In one of the documents News 3 obtained, the ER doctor wrote that Sean had a "history of suicidal ideations." However, in the autopsy report, the medical examiner said, "no known history of depression or suicidality."
Another section states no note was found, but annotated police are investigating the possibility of bullying at school.
The Rivas family said there was one instance of bullying in December of 2021. They told News 3 that even with that incident, Sean was not struggling mentally.
The conclusion of the autopsy report ruled the cause and manner of death hanging by suicide.
“We want to be the voice of Sean, that’s more important than us being listened to. Is Sean being listened to, because if he was sitting here he would tell you the same thing, 'I didn’t do this, I loved life,'” Jared said.
The Rivas family has created a social media campaign that's quickly growing in the community. Yard signs reading "What happened to Sean?" are popping up all over the Peninsula.
“We believe someone saw something, there was a crew next door mowing grass in the backyard when this happened, during the same time it happened,” Jared said.
Sean's parents say all they want are answers, and for another agency to re-examine the case.
“We want to make sure that whoever did this to Sean, is not going to do this to someone else,” Jared said.
News 3 reached out to the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office for a statement regarding the case. They said:
It has been the long-standing policy of the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office to not release public information relating to cases of suicide, especially in cases with child victims. We do everything within our power to preserve the privacy of the grieving family and the child. We take these matters very seriously, evaluate all evidence, and consider all possibilities. The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office is aware of a recent social media site created to provide the public with the theories surrounding the death of this young man. Much of the information being posted to this social media site is opinion and is not consistent with the evidence that was collected relating to this tragedy. Once our investigation was concluded, all evidence was turned over to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. By law, it is the chief Medical Examiner’s responsibility to determine the cause and manner of death. Also, the Sheriff’s Office met with the family and gave them the opportunity to voice their concerns. Additionally, an offer was made to have a group meeting that included the family, members of the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, and staff from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. As of this date, the family has not expressed interest in scheduling this meeting.
The office also posted on their Facebook page later Tuesday afternoon, addressing the family's concerns. You can watch their response below:
News 3 also reached out to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. They said:
The OCME determines cause and manner of death based on the circumstances of death and information presented to our office from various organizations (e.g., law enforcement agencies, primary care physicians, emergency medical response teams, etc.). When a family disagrees with a cause of death, our office gives the family an opportunity to present any new information that they feel is pertinent to our death investigation. The medical examiner will evaluate the new information to determine if the cause of death and/or manner of death should be amended.
In cases where the family suspects that someone killed their loved one, we ask families to contact the investigating law enforcement agency immediately to express their concerns. We advise that law enforcement should be involved as they need to conduct the necessary follow-up on the new information. If law enforcement determines the information to be pertinent to our death investigation, then they will present it to our office and the medical examiner will evaluate this new information to determine if cause of death and/or manner of death needs to be amended.
There are times when our office will meet with families and law enforcement together so that the medical examiner can thoroughly explain their medical findings and law enforcement can explain their investigation. This also allows families to present their concerns to both organizations that conducted the death investigation for their loved one.
