Autopsy of 11-Year-Old Celina Cass Has Sad Results

Posted by Jacqueline Burt

on August 3, 2011 at 12:06 PM

My heart breaks for the family of Celina Cass, the 11-year-old Stewartstown, New Hampshire girl whose body was found in the Connecticut River on Monday. Not only did they lose their daughter suddenly and tragically, they have no idea why or how it happened. Initial autopsy results, it was reported today, were inconclusive, though Assistant Attorney General Jane Young said the death was "suspicious" because of the condition of the body (she wouldn't go into specifics).

So far, nothing seems to add up: The last time Celina was seen, around 9 p.m. on July 25, she was in her bedroom on the computer. Then she just ... vanished.


As a mom, it's the hollow mystery surrounding Celina's death that gives me chills. There's nothing worse, as a parent, than feeling helpless, and stories like this one prove how powerless we truly are -- Celina was known as a good, quiet girl; only 960 people lived in Stewartstown, an area considered to be so safe that residents often leave their doors unlocked at night. This wasn't supposed to happen.

The fact that the autopsy was inconclusive makes the whole thing even more horrifying. Apparently examiners are now waiting on toxicology reports ... what can that mean? That Celina was drugged before she was killed? Because she was on her computer the last time anyone saw her, there has been some speculation that maybe Celina went to meet someone from the Internet.

Maybe she was the victim of yet another cyber-predator? Being forced to imagine the possibilities ... I can't even think about what Celina's family is going through right now without feeling sick.

I know that this poor little girl is gone, and nothing can bring her back. But I pray that they find the person who did this to her quickly, before another child is lost.

What do you think happened to Celina Cass?