FL - Teen set fire to house while mother and brother slept

http://nypost.com/2014/09/05/teen-o...an-set-fire-to-house-while-mom-brother-slept/

Lily Marie Hartwell, 14, had been reading an ebook, “Soul Eater,” about killing people, and about Slender Man, a gaunt, abnormally tall figure who features in one of the Internet’s most terrifying stories, before she reportedly set fire to her home in the city of Port Richey, Florida.

The girl’s mother and her 9-year-old brother were able to escape the fire after being awakened by a smoke alarm. Hartwell’s mother, realizing her daughter was not outside, went back into the blazing home but was beaten back by the heat... Firemen also went into the burning house three times to search for the girl before deciding she was not inside.

As a widespread search was made for Hartwell, her mother began to get text messages from her, including “Mom Im so sorry I dont know why I did it” and “Did any of u get hurt.”

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http://suncoastnews.com/su/list/news-pasco/family-safely-escapes-pr-fire-20140904/

The teen, Lily Marie Hartwell, was located several hours later by fire investigators and taken into custody at 7432 Little Road, deputies said. She faces one count of arson and two counts of attempted murder, deputies said.

The Chasco Middle School student was questioned by detectives and admitted to setting the fire on purpose after an argument, deputies said.

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http://www.kshb.com/news/14-year-old-girl-charged-with-attempted-murder

The teen also admitted to visiting sites including Creepypasta.com that detectives said are related to Slenderman character. She also said she was reading an online book called Soul Eater, which made her upset about past bullying and her mother disciplining her before bed.

According to detectives, the girl said she started the fire in the garage using a mixture of bleach and rum on a towel and bed sheet...

Investigators found a handwritten journal belonging to the teen. According to deputies, it included thoughts of killing and the statement "if this keeps up there will be no safety in this house." In another entry, deputies said, she wrote "mom if you ever find this before it happens I'm sorry."

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Firemen also went into the burning house three times to search for the girl before deciding she was not inside.

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^ The part that makes me very angry.

Lily Marie Hartwell's Facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/lily.hartwell.1

http://www.firehouse.com/news/11700492/looming-release-of-girl-who-set-fire-bothers-brother-father

A 14-year-old Port Richey girl accused three weeks ago of setting fire to her house with her mother and half brother asleep inside could be coming home from the juvenile detention center this week, says the father of the boy who was in the house...

He said after school Monday his son, who was crying, told him the girl was going to be released this week and he was afraid. Berryhill said it might be possible for his son to come live with him, or the girl could go live with her father. He said he has not been able to talk with the mother about the situation. Generally, she has not wanted to talk with him about what happened, he said, and he understands that because she lost her home and car in the fire, and her daughter was arrested.

"This isn't a custody thing," he said. "I'm just worried about my son."

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Aaaaand what's the bet there'll be people out there *completely* convinced this had something to do with Slenderman.

In my day (pre-internet) it was Freddy Krueger and heavy metal music making 'em do it.

Fact is - some kids need mental/emotional help, and don't get it. So they suicide/set fires/kill other kids/etc. Blaming whatever pop culture icons they idolised is utterly misplacing responsibility. Troubled kids go *seeking* icons that reflect how they already feel and who they believe they are, etc.

It's like blaming fire for the existence of arsonists.

That said, I have had my suspicions that there's an element among the readership of these websites who *might* be encouraging kids toward destructive behaviour. No solid proof yet, but this does nothing to quell that suspicion... Still, not the icon to blame there - human error, all the way.

Jeepers I keep hearing about this "Slender Man".

http://www.wfla.com/story/26627497/...rying-to-kill-her-family-to-be-released-today

The 14-year-girl who set her Pasco County house on fire, trying to kill her mother and half brother, is scheduled to be released Thursday...

At issue now is where she goes. The State Atorney's Office tells News Channel 8 that her mother wants her home. But the father of the boy involved in terrified.

"I have to stop this," he said. "My son is scared his sister will try again to kill him.

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