Rebecca Leigh Marseglia

Local Teen Missing

Feb 9, 2005 5:12 pm US/Eastern
PHILADELPHIA (KYW) The search is on for a local teenager who vanished during a trip to Florida.

Becky Marseglia, 16, was last seen Monday as the group she was traveling with prepared to depart Kissimmee. Her parents say she was reprimanded for a minor infraction and ran off crying.

When the Neshaminy High School student failed to return and retrieve her bags, the group became concerned and called police.

CBS 3's Dick Standish reports someone saw the girl get into a pickup truck with two men.

"Keep an eye out for my daughter," stated Diane Marseglia, adding, "Bring her back home. Please just let her call home and everything will be okay."

Her husband flew to Florida upon hearing the news to join in the search.

Marseglia, who is interested in a military career, had traveled to the Kennedy Space Center as part of the Air Patrol.

A $10,000 reward is being offered by the family.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

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By Leslie A. Pappas

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The body of a 16-year-old Neshaminy High School student missing since Monday was found today in a wooded area near the hotel in Florida where she was staying, an apparent victim of suicide, family members said.

Becky Marseglia, an honors student, rugby player, and daughter of former Middletown Township Supervisor Diane Marseglia, had been in Kissimmee, Fla., with the Civil Air Patrol for a trip to Walt Disney World.

She was last seen Monday afternoon, just before her group was scheduled to return to Pennsylvania, said her stepmother, Paula Marseglia of Morrisville.

Search teams combing the woods behind the hotel found a girl's body at about 8:30 this morning, said Lt. Andy Lang, spokesman for the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. Some of the clothing found on the body matched the description of the clothing Becky Marseglia was wearing when she disappeared, Lang said.

Lang could not comment on the cause of death, but said there was no indication that it was a homicide.

"Indications are that she took her own life," said Robert McMonagle, a family friend who spoke on behalf of the girl's distraught mother. Becky appeared to be happy and well-adjusted, and gave no indication that she might kill herself, he said.

"In a thousand years, no one ever would have guessed this about Becky Marseglia," said McMonagle. "We're in shock."

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By Leslie A. Pappas INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Posted: February 12, 2005

A 16-year-old Neshaminy High School student committed suicide in the woods behind a central Florida hotel, police confirmed yesterday.

Now friends and family are wondering why Becky Marseglia, who seemed to be a happy, outgoing, involved youth, would take her own life.

Marseglia had gone to Disney World with the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary to the Air Force that teaches leadership and survival skills. The group was about to return home Monday when a reprimand from one of her lieutenants sent her running to the bathroom crying.

That was the last anybody saw of her until search teams found her body Thursday.

"She must have come out of the bathroom and gone out when they weren't looking," said her mother, Diane Marseglia, a former Middletown Township supervisor, who thinks her daughter panicked about getting in trouble.

The Medical Examiner's Office in Orlando yesterday ruled the cause of death as asphyxiation by hanging.

"She died within 24 hours of her disappearance," said Lt. Andy Lang of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

Robert McMonagle, a family friend, said the teen had shown no signs before the trip that anything was wrong, and was not taking antidepressant medication or seeing a doctor or therapist.

"Whatever transpired in the 10 days or two weeks before this, it happened very quickly," he said.

Debby Lamanna, Middletown Township's parks and recreation director, who worked with Becky Marseglia through the department's teen task force, called her "a vibrant, creative, beautiful girl."

But she said teenagers are "all under too much pressure - to get the best test scores, to be perfect. . . . It's no longer OK to be average."

"When something like this happens, you start to think, what have we done here as a society?"

Becky Marseglia was active both in school and the community. In addition to the teen task force and Civil Air Patrol, she also played tennis and rugby, took advanced-placement classes, and won roles in school plays.

"She had just a general love for life, at least I thought," said her friend Patty Miller, 17. "She never seemed to be down."

But sometimes a happy exterior belies trouble inside, said James Jordan, executive director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Perfectionist tendencies are one characteristic of youth who are at risk for suicide, he said.

"She could be an overachiever," said Jordan. "If they need to have everything just so and something falls out of place . . . she might have panicked and made a bad decision."

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for those between the ages of 10 and 24, Jordan said.

Friend Eve Gautier, 16, said she did not think a reprimand would have caused Marseglia to kill herself.

"Becky's a very levelheaded person," Gautier said. "None of it is making sense."

Gautier had spoken with Marseglia last Saturday and had made plans to go out for Mardi Gras.

"She was as happy as can be," she said. "This isn't Becky. This isn't the Becky I knew."

In anticipation of the girl's funeral, the Neshaminy School District yesterday postponed the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, spokeswoman Sandra Costanzo said. The tests will be given the week of Feb. 21.

The funeral date has not yet been set, family members said.

Lamanna said a rock concert that Marseglia and Middletown's teen task force had helped plan will still go on. "Kids decided today that this will be a concert in celebration of her life," Lamanna said.

All proceeds from the concert, which will be held next Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Middletown Community Center, 2140 Trenton Rd. in Levittown, will be donated to the Civil Air Patrol, Lamanna said. For more information about the concert, call 215-750-3890.

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February 12, 2005
OSCEOLA COUNTY -- A medical examiner Friday confirmed that a body found Thursday in the woods behind a motel on West U.S. Highway 192 in Osceola County was that of a 16-year-old Pennsylvania tourist. Rebecca "Becky" Marseglia's death was deemed a suicide, and she died within an estimated 24 hours after she disappeared Monday, authorities said. The cause was asphyxiation after she hanged herself from a post with some clothing, officials said. Becky's family said she was upset and ran off after being reprimanded by an officer with the Civil Air Patrol unit with which she had traveled to Cape Canaveral and Walt Disney World.

Rebecca Leigh Marseglia

Bucks County Courier Times Editorial


By: Date: February 15, 2005 Page: 6A Section: EDITORIAL


The teenage years can be wonderful but also painful. The latter can lead to unexpected tragedy. Probably the last thing people mourning the loss of a loved one want to do is talk to a reporter ¬especially if their loved one took his or her own life. It's all the more difficult and tragic if they've lost a child.
Such was the horrible circumstance the Marseglia family of Middletown confronted last week. Initially reported as missing, 16-year-old Becky Marseglia was found dead in Florida woods where she and other Civil Air Patrol cadets were vacationing.
Becky took her own life.
This was heartbreaking if not unbearable news for the Marseglia family. Yet they accepted our reporter into their home. And while they eulogized the "tough cookie" who wanted to be an Army Ranger, they talked as well about the pressures that might have led the young woman they loved so much to end it all.
Their very personal thoughts and insights were poignant indeed but also instructive. Any parent trying to cope with the fragile teenage years is indebted to the Marseglias for so candidly talking about Becky, her hopes and dreams -and the turmoil that might have plagued her.
Like many teens, Becky aspired to reach lofty academic heights. She set a goal of scoring 1,200 on her SAT exams as part of a plan to be accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Alas, she fell short of that goal.
Already despondent, Becky was reprimanded while in training for an infraction she likely thought would ruin her chances of getting into a military academy. That's what her mother said she believes. Either way, she ran off in tears. It was the last time anyone saw her alive.
As you might have guessed from her career choice, Becky liked a challenge. "She was fearless," her mother said. She played on Neshaminy's varsity tennis team, belonged to two school community service clubs, had a role in the school play and belonged to a rugby club that her father coached. She planned to attend her junior prom.
So Becky was no wallflower. And from all appearances certainly not a candidate for suicide. She was gregarious and outgoing and stunning in her cadet uniform. She gave her family plenty to be happy about and proud of. And, now, much reason to grieve.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Marseglias in these most difficult days. Their loss should remind all of us who long ago crossed the threshold into adulthood that the pressures of growing up can be intense and painful -and hidden from view.

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REBECCA LEIGH MARSEGLIA OBIT 0212.TXT
By: Date: February 13, 2005 Page: 11C Section: NONE


Rebecca Leigh Marseglia
Rebecca Leigh Marseglia, age 16, of Levittown died on Wednesday, February 9, 2005.
Born in Trenton, N.J., Becky has been a life long resident of Levittown. She attended Carl Sandburg Middle School where she was elected Class President and was currently a Junior at Neshaminy High school. She served on various human service organizations at both schools over the years and was a regular member and lead in Neshaminy School and summer stock plays. Becky was a member of the Neshaminy Varsity Tennis Team and also loved her involvement in the Hibernian Rugby Club. She was an award winner at the Pennsylvania State Police Cadet Camp. She was the Vice-Chairman of the Middletown Teen Task Force and served as the teen representative on Middletown Township's ten year planning for Parks and Recreation.
Becky joined the United States Civil Air Patrol three years ago and became interested in training in their Search and Rescue Program. Her experience contributed to an interest in a possible future military career. Becky described her search and rescue training on Hawk Mountain as one of the times she was happiest. Ironically, members of Florida's Civil Air Patrol were needed in the search for her.
Becky was an extremely vibrant young woman who tackled life as if it were a glorious adventure. She exuded strength and was fun loving. She had a passion for politics and a need to advocate for those who struggle. She was quite funny and it seemed everyone loved her. Her family and friends take comfort that in her too short life her fearless style allowed her to accomplish much, travel and leave no stone unturned.
Becky is the beloved daughter of Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia of Levittown and Mark Marseglia and his wife Paula of Morrisville; and is the loving sister of Katelyn Blair Marseglia of Levittown.
She is the granddaughter of John and Marilyn Ellis of Yardley, Maryanne Kirkendoll and her late husband Al of Fairless Hills and the Late Vito Marseglia; and is the niece of Van Ellis of Yardley.
She will also be missed by her best friend since kindergarten, Patty Miller; family friend, Robert McMonagle; and her Squadron Commander, Terry Loughran.
The viewing and funeral service will be celebrations of Becky's life. Her family and friends request that attendees dress in bright, happy colors.
Family and friends are invited to call on Monday from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the James J. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc., 2200 Trenton Road, Levittown. Her funeral service will be held on Tuesday, 10:00
a.m. at Morrisville Presbyterian Church, 771 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Morrisville followed by interment in Newtown Cemetery. There are no calling hours prior to the service on Tuesday morning.
Contributions in Becky's memory can be made payable to the Becky Marseglia Memorial Fund, c/o First Federal Bank of Bucks County, 118 Mill Street, Bristol, Pa. 19007. Please note on your donation either Katelyn Marseglia education fund or the Civil Air Patrol Hawk Mountain Search and Rescue Training Sight.

More: http://www.becky-marseglia.memory-of.com/About.aspx

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February 12, 2005
OSCEOLA COUNTY -- A medical examiner Friday confirmed that a body found Thursday in the woods behind a motel on West U.S. Highway 192 in Osceola County was that of a 16-year-old Pennsylvania tourist. Rebecca "Becky" Marseglia's death was deemed a suicide, and she died within an estimated 24 hours after she disappeared Monday, authorities said. The cause was asphyxiation after she hanged herself from a post with some clothing, officials said. Becky's family said she was upset and ran off after being reprimanded by an officer with the Civil Air Patrol unit with which she had traveled to Cape Canaveral and Walt Disney World.