Kimberly Jo Dotts murdered on 5/10/98 in Clearfield, PA *beaten up then hung by other teens, including her cousin*

Kimberly was 15 years old at the time of her death.

Kimberly was a sweet girl. A girl that was a friend to all.

She was the daughter of Jodi Dotts.
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This is Kimberly's story:

American teenager tortured and killed for threatening to tell tales

A 15-YEAR-OLD girl was strung up in a tree and a friend clubbed her to death with a rock for threatening to reveal plans by a group of teenagers to run away to Florida, US police said.

"Snitches get hurt," the friend had told the victim, according to witnesses in the town of Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

Kimberly Jo Dotts' body was found by walkers on Tuesday in a clearing, known to locals as Gallows Harbour, named after a hanging carried out there in the 19th Century.
Her friend, 16-year-old Jessica Holtmeyer, and 18-year-old Aaron Straw were arrested on Wednesday, 10 days after Kimberly's slaying.

They were charged with homicide and are being held in the county jail.

Police said more arrests were possible. An investigator said other teens were present during the attack but walked away. Police did get an anonymous call a few days before the body was found, but did not elaborate on what was said.
Eleven people — the two suspects, Kimberly Jo, her 24-year-old cousin, Tracy Lewis, and seven teenagers — were together on the afternoon of May 10 at a popular party and camping spot off a dirt road near the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, police said.

The group was planning to run away to Florida, but got angry at Kimberly Jo when she backed out and threatened to reveal their plans.

The group toyed with Kimberly Jo by putting the noose around her neck, then removing it. At one point, she was dragged around the wooded clearing by her neck.
"She was crying because she was afraid and she was being picked on," state police Corporal Greg Bacher said. At this point, part of the group left the scene, but some stayed.

Bacher said that he did not know who remained.
The third time the rope was put around her neck, Kimberly Jo was hanged from a tree for several minutes until she lost consciousness, then taken down.

"That's when they got afraid and they started covering her up with branches.

"They noticed she started to move and that's when she was struck with the rock," Corporal Bacher explained.

Ms Holtmeyer, who was charged as an adult, allegedly bashed Kimberly Jo in the head with a 4-inch-thick rock.
Straw is accused of helping to hang the girl.

After the slaying, the group went to Lakeland, Florida, for a few days, except Ms Holtmeyer, who stayed behind. Most of the teens were back in central Pennsylvania by Tuesday.


This was taken from the Progress May 1998



REST IN PEACE, KIMBERLY
YOU WILL BE SADLY MISS BY ALL WHO LOVED AND KNEW YOU.