Meet Tyler Clementi. Tyler was an 18 year old student attending Rutgers University when he committed suicide by jumping off of the George Washington Bridge on September 23, 2010.
The freshman posted a goodbye message on his Facebook page before jumping to his death after his roommate secretly filmed him during a "sexual encounter" in his dorm room and posted it live on the Internet.
From the ABC Story:
Clementi's post on his Facebook page, dated Sept. 22 at 8:42 p.m. read, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry."
Clementi's body has not been recovered.
Two students, Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, have been charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy after allegedly placing a camera in Clementi's room and livestreaming the recording online on Sept. 19, according to a written statement by New Jersey's Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.
A Twitter page that appears to have been operated by Ravi but has since been taken offline shows messages in which the accused student takes credit for the alleged videotaping of Clementi.
On Sept. 19, Ravi appears to tweet, "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."
More information from the Comcast story:
Ed Schmiedecke, the recently retired music director at Ridgewood High, called Clementi "a terrific musician and a very promising, hardworking young man."
"Musically, Tyler was destined for greatness," childhood friend Mary Alcaro, who played in a summer music academy with him, said in an e-mail. "I've never heard anyone make a violin sing the way he did."
Here is a Youtube video of one of his performances:
UPDATE 9/30/2010
His body was recovered from the river Wednesday Sept 29 and positively identified today.
UPDATE 3/10/2011
In conjunction with Tyler's parents, The Point Foundation has created a scholarship in his name.
From The Advocate article:
“The Tyler Clementi Point Scholarship was created with the cooperation of Clementi’s parents, Joe and Jane, to honor his memory and further the efforts to end the bullying that many LGBT youth face within educational environments. The organization has set aside funds for the scholarship, while allowing the public and current Point supporters to donate in Clementi’s name online at www.pointfoundation.org or by calling 866-33-POINT (76468).”
Clementi’s parents made remarks in the Point Foundation news release.
"Our son Tyler was a kind and gentle young man who enjoyed helping people,” said Joe and Jane Clementi. “This scholarship will help college students and it will raise awareness of young people who are subject to abuse through malicious bullying — and so it will help people in Tyler's memory. We are happy to be supportive of Point Foundation and we thank them for establishing this scholarship.”
UPDATE 4/20/2011
From Time Newsfeed:
 | |
| Dharun Ravi |
A Grand Jury in Middlesex County, New Jersey, handed down a 15-count indictment on Wednesday charging former Rutgers University freshman, Dharun Ravi, with bias intimidation and other charges connected to his roommate Tyler Clementi's suicide.
Ravi and an alleged accomplice, Molly Wei, were accused of secretly filming Clementi during a same-sex encounter in his dorm room and live streaming the video online. The next day, on September 22, apparently distraught over the streaming of the video, 18-year-old Clementi, a talented violinist from New Jersey, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River.
The bias intimidation charge suggests, as prosecutors alleged, Ravi targeted Clementi specifically because he was gay.
UPDATE 12/13/2011
From Qweerty
... the parents of Tyler Clementi are breaking their silence to discuss his death and the creation of a foundation in his name.
UPDATE 2/1/2012
“It just seems the time has come to address this problem,” Joseph Clementi told ABC News. “We want to help people. We love Tyler very much and we want to help as many people as possible. We were devastated by the loss of our son, and we still are.”
Tyler’s mother, Jane, added, “Something good has to come out from such a terrible tragedy.”
James Clementi, Tyler's brother, has written "Letters to my Brother", published by Out Magazine, relating pictures and memories of Tyler. Read it. (I think there's something in my eye.)
UPDATE 3/16/2012
From Queerty:
Dharun Ravi was convicted on most of the 15 counts against him, including bias intimidation, witness tampering, and destroying evidence. Sentencing will be on May 21st.
Sources:
http://www.queerty.com/breaking-jury-delivers-verdict-in-dharun-ravi-trival-guilty-on-most-counts-20120316
http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementis-brother-opens-up-about-their-relationship-and-the-impact-of-his-suicide-20120201/
http://www.out.com/news-commentary/2012/02/01/tyler-clementi-james-letters-my-brother
http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementis-parents-speak-to-media-launch-suicide-prevention-foundation-20111213/
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/20/former-rutgers-student-dharun-ravi-indicted-in-tyler-clementi-suicide/#ixzz1K5MDqEZx
http://www.pointfoundation.org/press/Clementi_Press_Release_FINAL_MAR9.pdf
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/10/Point_Foundation_Creates_Clementi_Scholarship/
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100930/US.Student.Taped.Sex/
http://studentactivism.net/2010/09/29/rutgers-student-kills-himself/
http://abcnews.go.com/US/victim-secret-dorm-sex-tape-commits-suicide/story?id=11758716&page=1
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