Wolf Pack High School teens' consecutive suicides trigger fearful rumors
By Brian Chasnoff - Express-News
10/02/2010
Deikitsen Wolfram Lupus' mother Pamela (right) hugs Azrael Zae Silverstar
- Two local teens whose consecutive suicides triggered a cascade of fearful rumors had turbulent home lives that prompted investigations by Child Protective Services this year, officials said Friday.
- At least one of the teens was bullied constantly at school before he killed himself, his mother said.
- The teens, who both had attended Brandeis High School, were close friends who belonged to a group known as the Crimson Blood Wolf Pack and dressed like wolves.
- Both hanged themselves within a week. The most recent death was Wednesday, when a 16-year-old boy’s mother found him wearing a collar and hanging in his closet by a leash.
- A 14-year-old girl was found hanging Sept. 22 behind the John Igo Branch Library.
- The boy’s mother said her family had been suffering through “a lot of extremely emotional things,” including financial problems and an acrimonious divorce and custody battle.
- A CPS investigation was sparked in February when officials got a call that utilities had been shut off at the family’s home. That case was closed when the utilities were restored.
- Officials say the 14-year-old girl who killed herself last week told a CPS investigator in August that she didn’t feel safe at home.
- The girl’s relatives could not be reached Friday. Their deaths came amid a rash of publicized youth suicides nationwide.
- An 18-year-old Rutgers University student jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge last week, and Tuesday, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin shot himself with an AK-47.
- The local deaths sparked fears of a suicide pact among the self-styled wolves and even a planned shooting at Brandeis.
- While the girl did attend Brandeis, the boy had been expelled for bringing a knife to campus and was attending Bexar County’s Juvenile Justice Academy, Northside Independent School District spokesman Pascual Gonzalez said.
- He said that Friday, about 120 students left Brandeis early, but officials found no evidence to support any of the rumors.
- “We are not convinced that there is a list or a pact or anything like that,” Gonzalez said.
- The school’s principal, Geri Berger, sent a text message Friday to all 2,800 students and their parents warning of the dangers of unfounded rumors and urging them to call (210) 397-SAFE with any legitimate information.
- The mother of the 16-year-old boy Friday night organized a candlelight vigil at her home that was attended by about 75 friends, some members of the wolf pack.
- The boy who died was known as Deikitsen Wolfram Lupus by his packmates.
- “If there is a pact out there, I want it rescinded,” said the mother, who asked that she only be identified as Pamela.
- Packmates at the vigil described the boy as “sweet” and “kindhearted.”
- Steven Suwanasung, 17, who sports fangs and a tail, described the wolf pack as a support group.
- “It’s a big family, all of us,” he said. “We care for each other.”
- The pack’s “alpha” leader, Sarah Rodriguez, is known as Wolfie Blackheart. She said Friday that the boy who killed himself recently asked her if he could start his own wolf pack at Brandeis. She told him he could.
- “He’s one of my submissives, but he leads a group of others,” Blackheart said.
- Dr. Anne Esquivel, a local clinical psychologist, said the teens likely are drawn to the packs in search of acceptance.
- “They need to feel included in something,” Esquivel said. “These are going to be kids that are going to be socially isolated. Maybe they don’t have a tight family unit.”
- But Esquivel warned that the trappings of the packs could backfire.
- “Whenever you go to such lengths to be eccentric, you are going to be ostracized,” she said. “You want acceptance, but you’re setting yourself up to not be accepted.”
- The boy’s mother said her son, who wore long hair, chains and a tail, was bullied at school.
- “He stuck out because he chose to wear the tail, and they made a spectacle of him,” she said. “Because he was different, he’d get teased.”
Two local teens whose consecutive suicides triggered a cascade of fearful rumors had turbulent home lives, officials said Friday.
rosa, you are so clueless. This is beyond being a clique. A clique is a group of people with similar purposes who choose to associate informally. A cult goes beyond that in that it adds a core set of religious beliefs and practices. Cults, especially the destructive ones, usually have a strong leader who sets those beliefs and practices. This group is organized around the resurgent Goth philosophy, which has its roots in the occult. The recent Twilight movies built on this, showing kids the "good" side of this philosopy. The so-called leader of this local cult, Wolfie, who does not even attend Brandeis or O'Connor, drew on this movie propaganda to set up her own organization for her own purposes which are now proven to be destructive. The NISD and the local police need to take this group seriously. How many more children need to die before people realize how destructive and cruel this group and its philosophy are? Goth paraphenalia needs to be prohibited from our schools and those who insist on acting like dogs need to be removed. Wolfie and her puppies are clearly on a path to death and destruction. Our schools need to be safe havens, not recruitment grounds for these psychos.
bobrrr7:15 PM
I send my kids to school to get an education, not to be threatened by a cult of warewolf wannabies. Until NISD enforces a school dress code banning these cultists who go out of their way to seek negative attention, my kids are staying home. I'm paying NISD $7,000 a year in taxes for this?
rosa3:16 PM
It's sad that these teens are being judged based on the way they are dressed... "Normal" dressed teens are just as prone to depression and suicidal thoughts as the rest of them. Two children are dead and what matters is how they came to that decision. What they need is guidance and support, not harsh criticism... It's not right to judge people by how they are on the outside either. There is something much more serious going on with this group of adolescents and I believe the school is doing the right thing in trying to help them, and yes, parent involvement is necessary as well. Those of you calling their group a cult... it's a clique... yes, it's very, very different from let's say, the athletes or nerds, but it's high school... what do you expect, they are children? And those who are saying they are attention getters... so are you, just by writing this. It's sad if most of the people commenting here are adults, cuz the trash being said here is what's expected of the youth, not us. There is still a chance for these teens as well as many others.
gigem1:02 PM
Squirrel Bait
Anonymous10:31 AM
This whole wolf thing is stupid. Sarah Rodriguez's mother needs to get a brain and realize what her daughter is, TROUBLED! Their house burned recently, coinsidence? I think not. I think the insurance company needs to take a closer look at the situation. Sad that parents don't have enough time to see what their children are doing.
SomeGuy8:24 AM
A support group? No- a support group is a group in which the members help each other deal with common feelings such as alienation, lonliness, depression, etc. I don't know what one should call it, but I do know that it isn't a support group.
Anonymous6:41 PM
It is an extreme tradgedy of the suicide of these kids. It is also a tradgedy when parents are not involved in the lives of their children such as the case here and they get involved in a cult. It is also a tradgedy when it has approval status from a school counselor (Teen wolfs descend on San Antonio news story) and supported by the school district. The bullying theory does not hold water; it does happen, but this stinks of a cult operation.
Quirkiness6:26 PM
facebook.com/TheRealWolfieBlackheart You mean to tell me that their group actually has a cause? Check out the slideshow of the candelight vigil, you have pack members re-naming themselves things like "seximuffin"? Really, you have got to be kidding me if you are trying to convince everyone about being misunderstood, sounds to me like a bunch of attention seeking losers.
Quirkiness6:24 PM
I don't think these "wolves" are misundertood. I think they just want attention and they purposely make themselves social outcasts in order to stand out. They ask for it...sorry but it's true. Sarah "Wolfie" Blackheart an alpha in her wolfpack...bhahahha. Yeah if these two poor children are being led and mentored by someone like her, then of course others in their "pack" will have problems. Just look at her Facebook profile: acebook.com/TheRealWolfieBlackheart
timis6:16 PM
our kids are in NISD and i am often shocked at what they say they see and hear at their schools ....vulgar profanity is common with kids in the hallways and our middle schooler says the principal always says, 'if you hear profanity, tell a teacher.' and the question is 'why do i tell a teacher when kids scream it in the halls and the teachers just stand there?' NISD dropped the ball on these kids ....if the parents let them wear wolf clothing to school, the school should have never let them inside - wouldn't be surprised if a lawsuit shows up soon.
mram1015:32 PM
What happen to the dress code at school? Its a sad day that a child takes his own life because he feels to lonely, so being a part of this pack was no good for him in so many ways. There is alot of blame to go around here but one must pray this boys soul and pray that others in this little group have learned that it is no good place to be. This little pack needs to be disbanded ASAP. As for the NISD, get the kids to remove the tails prior to entering the school and start making sure that the no BULLING policy is being enforced!!!! As for parents we all must be involved in our childrens lives and steer them thru problems and just be there for them. Keeping them away from these kinds of groups because it brings nothing good to there lives. I am still wondering why was his gang name even mentioned more then once by the paper?
Ray12:34 PM
Wolves do not commit suicide. They find ways to survive. A trapped wolf will chew off its own foot if it is trapped. If you wolfies want to be considered wolves, fine. But WOLVES DON'T KILL THEMSELVES!
bornagainheathen12:24 PM
My kids like to pretend they are three-toed tree sloths
dr gonzo11:19 AM
He's back!....and he's a suicidal maniaaaaaac!!!
Joan198510:49 AM
wow, it seems a lot of people on here are just hateful and think they are so big and bad cause they can make bad comments towards teens who are dead on a website. You knew nothing about these people but the few sentences in these stories, you have no idea what the children were like, instead you make assumptions and condemn them for anything the article says they did. I hope none of you ever have to deal with the suicide of a child, and if you do I hope people are a little more decent to you than you are to these families. My heart goes out to the families who have to deal with the loss.
dr gonzo10:38 PM
Suicide's An Alternative!
mram1019:42 PM
First of all doesnt the school have a dress code??? If so why hasnt it been enforced? That is on the school district first of all. Tragic this child killed himself, but someone tell me why his proper name isnt being used for the article? There is no reason to use his "wolf"name except once. His mother should be furious with this group of kids not holding hands with them, they influenced her boy and it was and is wrong. She as a parent is suffering but must also take some blame for not having put her foot down and make her son straighten up and dress correctly for school. He wasnt 2 and wearing a costumes this is highschool even on a kids best day its hard. Everyone here failed, the school, parents, clergy if there were any in the picture and his so called friends. Time for them to put the tails away and learn from this tragic event. Lets hope the school districts clean up this mess and starts with expelling those who dont complie with the dress code and the bullies must be put in there place as well.
Anonymous9:33 PM
A cult by any other name is still a cult. And where was the Northside School district? No where to be found; including the Counselor who was on TV saying it was a form of expression??? His head was in the sand. And where was the Principal and Administration?? Why do they not strictly enforce the district dress code from distracting clothing, collars, tails, chains, goggles, fake contact lenses and all the other distracting clothing. The way they dress has been allowed in school and it is very distracting; I would expect to see that dress being worn on Halloween or in Walmart, not in our schools. POOR leadership and administration by the school. Dress code should be also strictly followed by the Brandeis Principal (wearing short skirts) and administration themselves. You cannot enforce what you do not practice. School faculty and staff should enforce the code equally and properly. If you allow the garbage worn by these wolf pack kids, then what is the Principal's reasoning behind not allowing shorts in school or wearing homecoming mums (because they were distracting) except on friday of homecoming. Lastly where are the parents. Better yet, where has the law enforment been starting with the beheading of the dog issue. I would not have expected the NISD to accept a cult so readily and put there heads in the sand.
Albert6:34 PM
read below and tell me whay any parent allows their child to hang out with this group and why isnt SAPD following Sarah and her parents around like Glue? Here's what we know about this character: Wolfie is the leader of the Crimson Blood Wolf Pack (C.B.W.P.) Describes herself as "full werewolf: half human, half wolf." She's known to wear a tail that she considers a part of herself, not an accessory. Other members of her pack do, too. Dropped out of highschool in 9th grade. Keeps skulls and other animal remains. Has been in trouble with Animal Care Services several times for the conditions she keeps her pets in. Was investigated in 2007 for animal mutilation. Fully admits to beheading Rigsby, but claims he was dead at the time. Claims that two friends brought her the body, claiming it was their dog (assumed to be Raz and Chelsey.) Has been arrested in the past in connection with a burglary.