Families, friends looking for answers after memorial honoring teens was moved

A tribute at Billerica Memorial High School dedicated to six teenagers who were killed in the early 1990's has been moved, and families and friends are looking for answers.

Those loved ones say they were not notified that the plaques would be lifted during construction, and now many are worried they won't have a place at the upcoming renovated high school.

A walk-way lined with six trees sits just behind the high school, and was created more than 25 years ago when several students passed away.

Now, the plaques with their names are no longer there, and people are fearing the trees are next to go.

"You just can’t take these trees down, they’ve stood and lived longer than the lives of the students they’ve represented lasted," Jennifer Rao said.

The six trees represent six Billerica Memorial High School students who died during the early 1990's, and the memorial was created by the Class of 1994 as a way for alumni like Rao to cope with loss at a young age.

"We consoled each other, and I think this was a way for us to come up with a quiet place to go to remember them," Rao said.

Between 1993 and 1994, 17-year-old Carrie Keyes, 16-year-old Jeffery Dunakin, 18-year-old Amy Ward and 15-year-old Chris Eastman all passed away.

Their classmates chose to honor their legacy with the memorial plaques, with each of their names placed under their own tree.

Two more teens were honored as well: 18-year-old Verity Colon and 16-year-old Amy Jones.

Family members are now concerned school officials will remove the entire memorial for good once the old school is torn down, as they have yet to find out where the plaques are being kept right now.

"Everyone from our perspective would like to see it stay, to be part of the new school to be part of the community," Bob Dunakin said.

Dunakin said it was upsetting for family members who now live out of town to return and find the plaques lifted.

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"This is a place to go instead of a cemetery," Dunakin said. "It's very difficult to go to a cemetery and pay your respects to folks."

Rao said losing the tranquil space would be devastating to many people in the community.

"They got to grow in ways that our friends didn’t and you can’t take that down," Rao said. "It’s like losing them all over again."

The friends and family members will be meeting with school and town officials at the end of the motnh to find out the fate of the memorial site.

Meanwhile, the school's superintendent chose not to comment.

Cox Media Group