Why did Evan Boettler, 16, kill himself?

From all appearances, 16-year-old Evan Boettler had everything going for him.

The Aurora High School sophomore was a member of Student Council and participated in track, baseball, wrestling, soccer and Youth Empowerment.

His true heart loved the outdoors and his favorite place was on the front deck of a boat, paddling a kayak in search of the next big one or scouting the woods looking for the next big buck. Regardless of the activity, he always gave everything he had for success.

 Those words were included in Evan's obituary following his sudden death Wednesday evening, January 3 at his home.

The obituary did not reveal how Evan died- obituaries of suicide victims often don't.

In this case, however, the family has changed its mind and asked the Aurora-Marionville Police Department and Lawrence County Sheriff's Office to tell the public the results of their investigation- reveal what led the teenager to take his life.

Earlier today, Aurora-Marionville Police Chief Wes Coatney placed the following message on the department's Facebook page.

On January 3, 2024, the Aurora-Marionville Police Department, along with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office and medical/fire crew were dispatched to an Aurora address after a report that a 16-year-old male had apparently attempted to take his own life with a firearm.

Life-saving measures were attempted, but to no avail, and 16-year-old Evan Boettler tragically died at the scene.

It is not typical for the Aurora-Marionville Police or the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office to do a press release on suicides, particularly when it involves a juvenile death. However, in this case, Evan's parents have requested this information be released.

Following Evan's death, the Aurora-Marionville Police Department and the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office conducted a thorough investigation. 

Initially, no typical signs were apparent that Evan was suffering from depression, social or relationship issues, or any obvious struggles in life. 

A deep review of his electronic devices has now revealed that on January 3, just an hour prior to his death, an apparent extortion attempt took place over a social media platform. Evidence suggests that an individual had contacted Evan over social media and the person had photos of Evan. 

This perpetrator attempted to get Evan to send money via the internet in exchange for not releasing the photos to his parents, friends, contacts and Evan's community. They placed Evan under extreme pressure to pay this money and made numerous threats if the money was not paid. 

These events are believed to have taken place only hours before Evan took his own life, presumably believing he had no other way out.

The Aurora-Marionville Police Department, Lawrence County Sheriff's Office and Evan's family hope that the release of this information will assist the community and Evan's friends with not only healing, but with encouraging ongoing conversations about online safety, and the potential pitfalls of interacting with unknown individuals over various social platforms.

Together, we hope this tragedy can spur increased internet safety, and also help to encourage a look at our existing laws that make prosecution of those who victimize our loved ones online difficult or impossible.

Evan's family asks that their privacy be respected and that all inquiries to the family be directed to James Pettit at 417-678-2187.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, please call 911 and tell us what's going on. Call 988 if you feel suicide is the only way out of a situation. Regardless of what has happened, we will work with national and local organizations to clear your name, protect your identity and dignity, and ensure you get through whatever temporary situation you are faced with.

Nothing that happens online is worth a life. Call for help; we will help you.

Inside Joplin Obituaries: Evan Boettler