Massachusetts Elected Officials Of Color Demand Independent Investigation Of Hopkinton Teen Mikayla Miller's Death

BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts elected officials of color are calling for an independent investigation into the death of Hopkinton teenager Mikayla Miller.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley; Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins; State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz; State Representatives Nika Elugardo, Brandy Fluker Oakley, Russell Holmes, Liz Miranda; and Boston City Councilors At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George, Michelle Wu, and Julia Mejia; and Boston City Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Andrea Campbell said they want more answers about what happened to Miller, who was 16 when she died.

The medical examiner ruled her death a suicide after the teen was found in the woods near her home in April, but Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan is still investigating.

In the letter to Ryan, the lawmakers wrote, "We question whether Mikayla's death is a hate crime, especially if the independent investigation finds that she was driven to suicide due to bullying because of her race and sexual orientation."

The letter continued, "Both the Miller family and the Black and LGBTQ+ communities continue to have questions about the reported bullying that took place in the days leading up to Mikayla's death."

The Middlesex District Attorney's Office said it has shared "our entire investigation" to date with Darin Colucci, the attorney for Mikayla Miller's mother. The DA arranged a call between the officials who sent the letter and Colucci on Wednesday to discuss the process.

"This investigation remains active and, encompasses all of the events leading up to Mikayla's death, including any allegations of bullying," the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said. "We are still awaiting additional reports from outside agencies before completing and releasing our final report."