GA - Trent Lehrkamp, 19, victim of extreme hazing, St. Simons Island, 21 Mar 2023

[cujenn81]

Commissioners sound off on the Lehrkamp investigation

Glynn County Commissioner Bo Clark watched in disbelief Saturday when he saw a video for the first time of what appears to be an intoxicated teenager, covered in paint and

thebrunswicknews.com

From that article —

As for the youths seen in the video, Tostensen said “the price they’re paying is on social media.”

“They’re all juveniles,” he said. “All that’s tied up in an investigation. There are so many unanswered questions.”

The parents of the youths in the video “are suffering,” he said.

Oh please, BOO HOO! When you act like a bunch of rabid wild animals, people will isolate you and treat you as such. And the only one suffering here is the boy who nearly died at the hands of their children.

 

[Emerald1328]

This case is so frightening to me. I have a 12 year old son who is “friends” with the popular boy group in school. And by “friends” I mean, he is allowed to be a part of their group text chat but 50% of the time they’re just making fun of him. Also, by “friends” I mean they will occasionally let him go to their house to hang out, but half the time it ends in him getting de-pantsed, teased, body-slammed, etc. And yet, he goes back for more. Over and over. We try to talk to him about what real friends are like, how he shouldn’t let people treat him like a doormat, how he needs to have some self-respect, etc. Sometimes we even go the tough love route and either ban him from hanging out with them or straight up telling him that they aren’t his friends and they just want him around to pick on him.

It’s so frustrating to see your child willingly and knowingly put themselves into harmful situations and it scares me to think that these “friends” of my son’s could escalate their behavior to this level in just a few years.

 

[Marysmith]

This case is so frightening to me. I have a 12 year old son who is “friends” with the popular boy group in school. And by “friends” I mean, he is allowed to be a part of their group text chat but 50% of the time they’re just making fun of him. Also, by “friends” I mean they will occasionally let him go to their house to hang out, but half the time it ends in him getting de-pantsed, teased, body-slammed, etc. And yet, he goes back for more. Over and over. We try to talk to him about what real friends are like, how he shouldn’t let people treat him like a doormat, how he needs to have some self-respect, etc. Sometimes we even go the tough love route and either ban him from hanging out with them or straight up telling him that they aren’t his friends and they just want him around to pick on him.

It’s so frustrating to see your child willingly and knowingly put themselves into harmful situations and it scares me to think that these “friends” of my son’s could escalate their behavior to this level in just a few years.

That’s so hard. I’m so sorry.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

From that article —

As for the youths seen in the video, Tostensen said “the price they’re paying is on social media.”

“They’re all juveniles,” he said. “All that’s tied up in an investigation. There are so many unanswered questions.”

The parents of the youths in the video “are suffering,” he said.

Oh please, BOO HOO! When you act like a bunch of rabid wild animals, people will isolate you and treat you as such. And the only one suffering here is the boy who nearly died at the hands of their children.

Well said! Except it's an insult to even a rabid animal to compare these monster criminals to them.

They and their families deserve to be ruined on social media. It only takes a second to ruin a reputation or tarnish a family name. Seems like these people couldn't be more deserving.

I'm usually very pro LE. But this Sheriff is pathetic.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

This case is so frightening to me. I have a 12 year old son who is “friends” with the popular boy group in school. And by “friends” I mean, he is allowed to be a part of their group text chat but 50% of the time they’re just making fun of him. Also, by “friends” I mean they will occasionally let him go to their house to hang out, but half the time it ends in him getting de-pantsed, teased, body-slammed, etc. And yet, he goes back for more. Over and over. We try to talk to him about what real friends are like, how he shouldn’t let people treat him like a doormat, how he needs to have some self-respect, etc. Sometimes we even go the tough love route and either ban him from hanging out with them or straight up telling him that they aren’t his friends and they just want him around to pick on him.

It’s so frustrating to see your child willingly and knowingly put themselves into harmful situations and it scares me to think that these “friends” of my son’s could escalate their behavior to this level in just a few years.

I'm very sorry that your son and you and your husband are going through this. My little brother is grown now, but was very much like that. It's so hard to watch.

 

[MrsWatson]

Well said! Except it's an insult to even a rabid animal to compare these monster criminals to them.

They and their families deserve to be ruined on social media. It only takes a second to ruin a reputation or tarnish a family name. Seems like these people couldn't be more deserving.

I'm usually very pro LE. But this Sheriff is pathetic.

This happened March 21. We've just now heard about it. We should have already seen arrests by now. This is not a mystery. There is photographic proof. At least two incidents.

I am also generally pro LE. The statement from the sheriff was very off-putting and milquetoast. So was the school's.

 

[Emerald1328]

I'm very sorry that your son and you and your husband are going through this. My little brother is grown now, but was very much like that. It's so hard to watch.

I just hope one day he sees his worth! His dad and I do everything we can to build him up and he is in therapy, but it goes in one ear and out the other. A few of my son’s “friends” are members of prominent families in our area too. It sounds like Trent’s family was concerned as well, with his dad taking photos of the prior incidents. I can imagine the frustration and helplessness they must have felt while this was going on. I am glad that his family is pushing for maximum punishment. It may not rehabilitate these kids, but actions should have consequences.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I just hope one day he sees his worth! His dad and I do everything we can to build him up and he is in therapy, but it goes in one ear and out the other. A few of my son’s “friends” are members of prominent families in our area too. It sounds like Trent’s family was concerned as well, with his dad taking photos of the prior incidents. I can imagine the frustration and helplessness they must have felt while this was going on. I am glad that his family is pushing for maximum punishment. It may not rehabilitate these kids, but actions should have consequences.

I agree. Their actions should have very serious consequences. (The maximum allowed by law, imo.)

 

[GoBuckeyes]

This happened March 21. We've just now heard about it. We should have already seen arrests by now. This is not a mystery. There is photographic proof. At least two incidents.

I am also generally pro LE. The statement from the sheriff was very off-putting and milquetoast. So was the school's.

I was shocked by both statements. They showed concern for everyone but the victim.

 

[Marysmith]

I was shocked by both statements. They showed concern for everyone but the victim.

His respirations were 6 a minute when he was left at the emergency room. He almost died. I cannot believe there have been no charges yet.

 

[kaen]

I just hope one day he sees his worth! His dad and I do everything we can to build him up and he is in therapy, but it goes in one ear and out the other. A few of my son’s “friends” are members of prominent families in our area too. It sounds like Trent’s family was concerned as well, with his dad taking photos of the prior incidents. I can imagine the frustration and helplessness they must have felt while this was going on. I am glad that his family is pushing for maximum punishment. It may not rehabilitate these kids, but actions should have consequences.

I am so sorry this is happening to your family. As a former school administrator there is little that a school can do with outside of school behavior. I have changed fields and now counsel students in schools. The system of safety nets for many students is broken due to the power of SM and ineffective systems of accountability.

If the counselor he is working with is not effective, I hope you can find a new one. Also, it may help to find some leadership positions (faith based, hiking/outdoors, community organizations) where the peers he will meet are more grounded in humane treatment of others.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

His respirations were 6 a minute when he was left at the emergency room. He almost died. I cannot believe there have been no charges yet.

I cannot either. It's beyond shocking.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I am so sorry this is happening to your family. As a former school administrator there is little that a school can do with outside of school behavior. I have changed fields and now counsel students in schools. The system of safety nets for many students is broken due to the power of SM and ineffective systems of accountability.

If the counselor he is working with is not effective, I hope you can find a new one. Also, it may help to find some leadership positions (faith based, hiking/outdoors, community organizations) where the peers he will meet are more grounded in humane treatment of others.

Great suggestions.

 

[DrQ]

IMHO It is so terribly sad that any person of any age could be persuaded to participate in a situation that harms them or someone else in order to be accepted by a creepy sick group of young (evil) people. Equally sad is that if any of these "youngsters" manage to stay out of prison, they just might become leaders of goodness knows what. In my experience, these type of people don't change for the better. I know this to be true because ADULT WOMEN in our neighborhood behave like they are at the popular table but they are really just old "mean girls". Wishing Trent the best and hope one day he can value his own self worth and have true friends.

 

[ifindedout]

Trent is speaking now. And about the case.

Georgia teen left in intensive care after being tortured speaks out

Trent Lehrkamp, 19, was allegedly attacked at a house party at Saint Simon's Island off the coast of Georgia on March 21 by a group of his 'wealthy friends.'

www.dailymail.co.uk

'I'm alive and doing well and I'm recovering,' Lehrkamp told WSAV. 'Just know, it's going to be a long time for me to get over this - through the trauma. But one day, hopefully within the next few months or so, I might be back. But justice will be served.'

 

[KooshBall]

I hope his family sues the pants off the wealthy parents of the kids who did this. I am so disgusted that so many adults are protecting these bullies.

 

[vls12345]

I hope his family sues the pants off the wealthy parents of the kids who did this. I am so disgusted that so many adults are protecting these bullies.

I think those adults are protecting the tormentors because those adults are the ones who allowed and benefitted from those type of torturous scenarios when they were younger and likely still condoning and perpertrating those same actions. They are also in CYA mode. IMO and MOO.

 

[Erutan]

Sounds like the parents of these entitled youths are indeed in CYA mode.
Horrendous.
Trent could have died !
I'm grateful he did not.

If he was reduced to six breaths a minute, there very well could be residual, long term damage, I'd think ?

MSN

www.msn.com

Trent could only take six breaths per minute and was put on a ventilator, authorities said.

I agree that a lawsuit is in order.
Maybe if the parents are forced to pay up, they'll stop enabling their young men in committing such acts ?
Imo.

 

[arielilane]

Trent is speaking now. And about the case.

'I'm alive and doing well and I'm recovering,' Lehrkamp told WSAV. 'Just know, it's going to be a long time for me to get over this - through the trauma. But one day, hopefully within the next few months or so, I might be back. But justice will be served.'

The photo of Trent surrounded by the monsters that brutally attacked (imo, moo) and ambushed him is disturbing and disgusting. Inhumane selfish monsters. Moo

I wish Trent well.

 

[realanastasia]

“Q: We also know this has been named as a hazing investigation by your department, originally logged as an assault call when it was put into the CAST system for your dispatchers and then named a hazing incident in a press release from you all. According to our legal experts, this case doesn’t fit the Georgia law for hazing. Is this still a hazing investigation for investigators?
A: I would agree with you. This does not meet Georgia code for hazing because it doesn’t involve a public school event or organization that’s related to a school. Our victim was an adult, as you’re aware. The other individuals that are involved in this thing are juveniles. So, it would not rise to that definition, I agree.”

From the transcript kindly posted by another WSer, I noted the bolded sentence above with some alarm. “Doesn’t RISE TO that definition?” Well, then, what is it? “Boyish hijinks”? “Horseplay”? Gimme a break. It’s assault, at best, and IMO looks quite like attempted murder except for the fact the perps carted him off to the ER (probably for purely selfish reasons rather than actual concern or regret).