No charges in Minn. teen's suicide

Tim Post
ST. PAUL, Minn.

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Rachel Ehmke
Rachel Ehmke, 13, a 7th grader at Kasson-Mantorville middle school, was laid to rest during funeral services Friday, May 4, 2012, in Kasson, Minn., in southern Minnesota. Ehmke committed suicide last weekend, reportedly because of intense bullying she experienced at school.
Photo courtesy of the family via Rochester Post-Bulletin

No charges will be filed in the case of a southern Minnesota teen who killed herself after facing bullying in her school.

The Dodge County Sheriff says while bullying likely contributed to the suicide of Rachel Ehmke, 13, there isn't enough evidence to bring charges because Rachel's death wasn't caused by one incident.

Ehmke took her life on April 29. Her parents say she was bullied by a group of girls starting last fall in the Kasson-Mantorville school district.

The Dodge County Sheriff says a disparaging email sent the Friday before Rachel's death did not come from the girls that had been doing the bullying, but rather was traced to Rachel's father's house and may have been sent by Rachel herself.

Since Rachel's death, students blamed for the bullying have faced harassment. The county attorney says he'll consider charges against individuals making those threats if that behavior continues.

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