Letter to The Hon. Marian Ryan, District Attorney - Formal Request for Independent Investigation Into Mikayla Miller's Death

Letter

Dear District Attorney Ryan,

We write to demand a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the recent death of
Mikayla Miller, a 16-year-old Hopkinton resident who was found dead in the woods not far from her
home on April 18.

Nearly two months after Mikayla's death, the greater Boston community is still grieving the tragic loss of this young life and questions remain unanswered about the full circumstances that led to her death. While we understand that the medical examiner's office has determined that the cause of her death was suicide, reports about those circumstances have made closure hard to find for Mikayla's family and the community.

We question whether Mikayla's death is a hate crime, especially if the independent investigation finds
that she was driven to suicide due to bullying because of her race and sexual orientation. Both the Miller family and the Black and LGBTQ+ communities continue to have questions about the reported bullying that took place in the days leading up to Mikayla's death.

An independent investigation will help not only to answer those questions, but will also help to restore the trust that has been broken by the lack of transparency in the investigation currently carried out by your office and Hopkinton Police.

Any loss of life, especially that of a young person, is a tragic event and must be thoroughly investigated.

By commissioning an independent investigation into Mikayla's death, we can prevent the further erosion of trust and help Mikayla's loved ones find the healing that every family deserves after a loss.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,