CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A resident of the Pressley Ridge residential treatment facility has died at its location in the Laurel Park area outside of Clarksburg.
According to Corporal Martin Bailey with the West Virginia State Police, the deceased is a 14-year-old male who was a resident of the facility.
Bailey said that the state police are investigating the incident, but a preliminary evaluation shows that the boy died from an apparent suicide.
The boy’s body was originally evaluated at a local morgue, but has been sent to the chief medical examiner’s office in Charleston for a full autopsy to determine an official cause of death, according to Bailey.
Pressley Ridge released a statement on the situation at the Harrison County location.
“Pressley Ridge is deeply saddened by the tragic death of one of our students at our Laurel Park residential facility early this morning. We are cooperating closely with the authorities. Grief counselors are currently onsite and available to students, families, and staff. Our concerns are with the student’s family and the staff at Laurel Park. The well-being and safety of the youth we serve, and our staff, are of most importance.”
Pressley Ridge statement
Pressley Ridge has five residential facilities in West Virginia, according to its website.
