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Medical Examiner Rules Mikayla Miller Died By Suicide

Flowers rest in the woods in Hopkinton on May 4, 2021, nearby where Mikayla Miller was found dead on April 18. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Flowers rest in the woods in Hopkinton on May 4, 2021, nearby where Mikayla Miller was found dead on April 18. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Mikayla Miller, the Hopkinton 16-year-old whose death last month prompted cries of a coverup and calls for an independent investigation, died by suicide, the state medical examiner ruled.

That's according to Miller's death certificate, filed Tuesday. The cause of death was listed as asphyxia by hanging.

Miller's body was found a month ago in a wooded area not far from her house. The night before, Miller was involved in a physical confrontation with several other teenagers at her apartment complex, authorities said. None of those teenagers have been charged or implicated in Miller's death.

At a press conference earlier this month in response to the outcry, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said her office had not come to any conclusion about Miller's death and was waiting on the medical examiner to rule.

But Miller's mother, Calvina Strothers, along with other prominent activists, complained that police were too quick to dismiss the death as a suicide without fully investigating the possibility that she was killed.

In a statement Tuesday, Ryan's office said even after the medical examiners' ruling, the investigation is active and ongoing, and asked for patience.

"We will continue to explore every investigative angle necessary as we do that work and intend to issue a complete and thorough report at the conclusion of the investigation," the statement said.

Miller's mother has raised more than $58,000 so far to fund an outside investigation into her daughter's death. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Miller in Hopkinton earlier this month.

Resources: You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and the Samaritans Statewide Hotline (call or text) at 1-877-870-HOPE (4673). Call2Talk can be accessed by calling Massachusetts 211 or 508-532-2255 (or text c2t to 741741).

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