Back in October 2009 our community and country was stunned when 15 year-old Michael Brewer was doused in alcohol and set on fire by other teens. Last week, 15 year-old Josie Lou Ratley, who shared a science class with Michael Brewer at Deefield Middle School, was brutally beaten nearly to death.
Josie Ratley remains in a medically induced coma at Broward General Medical Center, more than a week after prosecutors say an enraged teenager she barely knew confronted her at a Deerfield Beach Middle School bus stop and repeatedly stomped on her head while wearing steel-toed boots.
On Tuesday this past week, Josie Lou Ratley and her family received a visit from Michael Brewer, who also recently survived a life-threatening assault. Brewer suffered burns over two-thirds of his body when he was set on fire at an apartment complex about a mile from the school last October.
"She's my friend," Brewer said, according to family spokeswoman Terri Lynn. The visit was a private meeting between families, Lynn said. "Their message was, ‘We're here for you. We know what you're going through.' " - Sun-Sentinel
Josie Ratley was waiting for a school bus on campus March 17 when, prosecutors say, Wayne Treacy, 15, attacked her without warning. Treacy is facing a first-degree attempted murder charge and is being held in a juvenile detention center.
Also being held as an accomplice is Kayla Manson, 13 year-old, a friend who prosecutors say knew Treacy intended to harm Ratley and led him to the victim.
Kayla Manson and Josie Lou Rately were friends prior this incident. On NBC's Today Show, they showed pictures of their friendship. The family of and attorney for 13-year-old Kayla Manson spoke out for the first time on Thursday, telling NBC's ``Today'' show that Manson had no idea Wayne Treacy was going to brutally beat her friend, Josie Ratley. Kayla Manson's attorney is determined to have Kayla tried as a juvenile.
Read previous articles on Josie Lou Ratley for more information.
The Ratley family does not have medical insurance. Donations can be made at Wachovia Bank, in care of the Law Office of Garden and Donor for the benefit of Josie Lou Ratley in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Comments
Bullying is the worst preventable short and long term trauma producing event that both children AND adults face today. Enough is enough. Bullying must stop THIS generation. It's time for parents to wake up!
Rick
Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc.
martialarts808.com/Bullying/
Yes the parents are to be partially blamed, but the main thing is these kids are growing up in a society where there is no real punishment. They have taken away "licks" in school, if the parent tries to punish the kid, the kid turns around and reports them to the Child protective services. The kids these days needed to grow up with old fashion punishment. They don't get it at all.
I think you forgot to mention that before Josie Ratley was repeatedly stomped, she was sending text messages to this "teenager she barely knew" making fun of his deceased brother that had just committed suicide in October. Minor details I guess? She was the victim of bad parenting...most of us would know better then to do something like that?
No matter what messages she was sending that boy, he still should not have brutally beat her and stomped her head. I think he to must be the victom of bad parenting what with having one child who committed suicide and one who beat a girl nearly to death and all. I would also have to say that "most of us would know better" than to stomp someone elses head in the ground also. Wouldn't you agree?? yes it is a Minor detail. That stupid is a terrible thing
What a tragedy! Treacy should never see the light of day--beating up on a girl ...over words! I'd have no problem flicking the switch on the guy. The last thing he should see is her hospital photo. And therein lies the problem: bleeding hearts at some future time can see that he is sprung even if he gets life. And the Treacy family should be forced into counseling--we've identified a problem.
Teens do not need need cell phones. If there hadn't been any texting, this boy probably would never have learned Josie's opinion on his relationship with her friend.
This is such a horrible horrible incident. Calling the parents "bad" is a statement made out of ignorance. Bottom line you can't control what your kids do, you raise them to the best of your abilities and hope for the best. Whatever was said in that text message in TOTAL is not being revealed hmm wonder why. Noone would just say something out of nowhere, so please with all that b.s. on that subject. This boy rode his bike 3miles WITH steel toe boots on to kill her. May god have mercy on his soul, he's probably going to die in prison.
Nothing excuses his actions and he should be held fully accountable to the law. But I also think we should question what kind of parents would raise their child to think it was ok to text someone to taunt them about the suicide death of a sibling? That is pretty disgusting and low in and of itself. She's a bully herself to have started with the text messages like that. This case is proof that wrongs don't make a right. Maybe if her parents had taught her manners and how to be a decent person she wouldn't be in the hospital right now
I am sick of the Today show insisting that we feel sorry for the supposed "victim," Josie. Kids need to learn that their words have consequences. She apparently provoked this boy relentlessly and got what she deserved for being a bully and just plain mean. If she was almost a stranger, then why did she feel that it was her imperative to mock his brother's suicide? Yes, she has freedom of speech, but even this has limits. You cannot write things that directly incite violence, aka "fighting words." Maybe she shouldn't have gotten beaten half to death, but she certainly deserved some sort of response. Maybe the next mean-spirited teen will think twice the next time they want to taunt someone.
I think Josie Ratley is a beautiful girl and I hope she recovers soon.. Im praying for her and her family. I do wish they would release the text between them tho.. I hope he gets life in prison. Does anyone know does he have any other siblings? I read somewhere that his father was arrested 43 times. Does anyone know anything about his up bring or hers? well have a nice day everyone :)
When I was a kid, I didn't get grounded; We got old fashion whoopings to a limited extent to teach us a lesson. A better way to get the point across. Look at me now, I'm obviously not stomping on girls, or sending txt messages provoking violence about a deceased sibling.
I do not care what kind of text Josie sent to Wayne Treacy, it did not give him any right at all to beat her like he did.He had set out that day to kill her, but thank god for the teacher, he did not succeed. I hope that he gets the maximum sentence that he could possibly get. True teens do need to take responsibility for their actions, but to get beaten or have someone try to kill you is not the way for anyone to have to take responsibility for their actions.You know we are all guilty of saying things that we dont mean and we are all guilty of saying things before we think so when we do that should we be brutally beaten because we make a mistake? No!!!!!! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO JUSTIFY WHAT HE DID!!!! I cannot believe that I found that people are sticking up for this monster!!!!!! Josie's life will never be the same because of this. My prayers will be with Josie's family always!!!!!!!
I feel sorry for the kid who got set on fire, but Ratley got whate she was asking for. Wayne's brother committed suicide a year before,
so in a little squabble over a relationship, Ratley said to him "jus go vist ur dead brother," to which he responds "I swear to god I'm gonna kill you!" She writes back: "u make me giggle." He texted a bunch of his friends, asking them to stop him. They never did, so Wayne put her in the hospital, where she now has to
relearn to walk and talk, which, in my opinion, is a fitting
punishment
Doofster - you certainly live up to your name. Josie Ratley was NO ANGEL. What she did was COLD, CRUEL, and downright SADISTIC. I'm not saying that she should have been beaten to within an inch of her life but certainly some response on Wayne's part is justified. Maybe once Josie learns to walk & talk again she'll energe from this a wiser and more compassionate person. Doofster - judging by your ONE SIDED comment you are a typical Bush/Cheney NUT JOB!!!
Hello Mike , This Is About The Girl That Was Beat Up By The Boy. PLEASE Tell Me When PARENTS Are Going To WAKE UP And START RAISING Their KIDS And Teaching Them To NOT Bully Other KIDS , And To Have Compassion Towards Their School Mates ? I Truly Think That The "GIRL" Is To Blame For What Happened , It Was because Of Her Actions That This Even Happened ! I Lost My 20 Year Old Brother To Cancer , And I DARE Anyone To Ever Talk About His Death In A Negative Or Hurtful way ! HER PARENTS Should Have Taught Her Compassion !!! Now The Girls Parents Aren't Going To see That SHE Started The Whole Thing By Saying What She Said About the Boys Brother !!! It Is Sad That Kids Are Picked On EVERYDAY Single Day ...BUT... NO ONE Ever Takes Notice Until The Kid's Being Bullied , BULLIES BACK By Killing !!! Then Everyone Takes Notice ...BUT... Then The kid That Couldn't Take Being bullied Anymore Is Blamed ! It Is High Time That The Bulling In Schools STOPS ! Even If The Kids
YES YES YES !!! The Girls Text Message PROVOKED The Boy ! She Should Be ashamed Of HERSELF ! Mothers Of Children Today DON'T TEACH Their Kids COMPASSION For Other's ! PARENTS "MOTHERS" Have Got To Start Actually RAISING Their Kids And Teaching Them Right From Wrong ! Which In This Case The Mother Truly DID NOT DO ! What This Girl Said To The Boy Was INEXCUSABLE ! If You Ask ME , She Deserved Everything She Got ! I Bet Ya Now She Will THINK Before The Next Time She Starts To Talk About Someone's DEAD BROTHER ! Donna
What the hell is wrong with you people? Presumably grown adults condoning and practically applauding an excessively brutal attack by one child on another child over a stupid text exchange. YOU oughta be ashamed of yourselves. You scream so much about compassion...where is yours for the victim now hypocrites?? And as for "raising kids right," by your reasoning, it should be ok for anyone to almost kill anyone else who says something that might offend our delicate sensitivities. You've offended me with your stupid remarks...does that mean I should be allowed to stomp on your head and get away with it...? NO, didn't think so. Thank God, I wasn't raised by you. And you should be glad you're not getting what YOU deserve...
Some teenagers brain are not fully developed to react in a reasonable manner to a "stupid text exchange". The text make fun of his dead brother. Its an unfortunate incident but the girl should not have made the comments she did.
Donna, You have a point with her doing the wrong thing, But i disagree. Yes, She should have been smart enough to not open her mouth, but on the other hand, he should have been smart enough to accept the facts and ignore it like the rest of us kids do. I'm 13, Ive learned from this experience that i won't open my mouth, I actually know better, But he had NOT RIGHT to threaten her! He almost killed the poor girl! He life is at sake, She's fighting for her life, NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! So everyone needs to at least P-R-A-Y for Josie, And Donna! You're a sick person for saying that? What's wrong with you? NO ONE DESERVES GETTING HURT AND BEAT TO DEATH! ARE YOU SERIOUS! THINK! ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY! Poor girl is fighting for her life? And all you can say DONNA! is "She deserves every bit of what she got". Some people in this world sicken me, And you're one of them, How are you telling us to teach kids, When you're the one who shouldn't be talking?
~ GET WELL JOSIE!!!! GET WELL JOSIE!!!! GET WELL JOSIE!!!~
comment il va michael brewer ?
good luck michael
hi michael
Hi everybody lol please repondez moi !!!
I think we should all come together as a community to prevent violence against children.
ok you know michael brewer anonymous ?
ok you know michael brewer anonymous ?
ok you know michael brewer anonymous ?
how counting cards at black jack ? 2, 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 : + 1.[ 7 , 8 , 9 : 0. [ jack ,king , queen , 10 and ace : - 1
michael brewer je le konai i know michael brewer. And you ??
michaell.....
thats so sad
yeah anonymous, that so sad... You are michael brewer anonymous ?
You boy that did this was the victim of bullying firstt by the comment the girl made about his dead brother. That was the first act of bullying. What he did was not bullying. It was reacting to a cold, mean, hateful text message.
I meant "the" boy.
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