Investigation of A'Sha Rucker Death Continues Wednesday

***UPDATED***
Wednesday 11:26 a.m.

Matthew Armstrong with Greenville County Sheriff’s Office says they are in possession of a computer recovered from the Rucker residence and it has been turned over to their computer forensics people. He says this is standard for investigations like these because they police try to establish a communication timeline leading up to the event.

***UPDATED***
Monday, 9:30 p.m.

Rucker family spokesperson, Heather Holcombe, says that due to the size limitation of the church and the large amount of people expected, the funeral will not be open to the public. Holcombe says that immediate family will be the only people allowed to attend, but the family would like to thank the community for their prayers and support. Holcombe says a community-wide vigil will be held at a date they will determine.

***UPDATED***
Monday, 4:21 p.m.

Williamston Police that Chief Inman is calling Rucker’s case “murder”.

***UPDATED***
Monday, 3:40 p.m.

A woman who's daughter attends Palmetto High School told News Channel 7 she had to pick her daughter up from the school today, due to bullying. The mother said her daughter had been friends with A'sha Rucker since middle school, and both girls have been teased and bullied continuously by other girls at the school. The mother said, it needs to be addressed, especially since the circumstances surrounded Rucker's death are still being investigated.

Dr. Mason Gary, principal at Palmetto High School said there were reports of bullying going on at the school today, and he is investigating both sides to try to determine if it happened and if so, why. He said faculty at the school have been dealing with many emotions from students today, ranging from grief to anger. He said they have counselors at the school and 65 students participated in a session during first period where they were allowed to discuss memories of Rucker and what happened. Two banners also line the hallway, with signatures and notes from students in memory of Rucker.

Gary said he hopes more information in the criminal investigation will give students closure and stop rumors surrounding her death. He said students will also be allowed to attend Rucker's funeral.

Rucker was very involved in the school's chorus, according to Gary.

"She was a sweet girl, a good student and always had a smile," he said.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office said they continue to work with Williamston Police in a joint investigation into Rucker's death. Calls to the Williamston Police Department have not been returned.

Monday, November 23, 2009
The funeral for missing teen, 17 year old A'sha Rucker, will take place at 2pm on Tuesday at New Hopewell Baptist Church on Dorchester Road in Belton.

A family friend told News Channel 7 on Sunday that the family is still in a state of shock. "You can't describe what they're going through they are living every parent's worse nightmare right now," Heather Holcombe said. To make matters worse, she says, the family has heard rumors circulating around town that somehow the mother was invovled. "For anyone to start rumors that Lavette may be involved is absolutely ludicrous. There is now way," she said.

Nearly a hundred friends and classmates gathered outside of the community center where A'sha Rucker's car was found to light candles for her Saturday night.

The body of the missing Williamston teenager was discovered early Friday evening.

Greenville County deputy coroner Scott Ramsey says that the body of 17-year old A'sha Rucker was found outside of an abandoned home on Long Cane Lane in southern Greenville County shortly before 6 pm. The remains showed signs of strangulation, but Ramsey said it may take two months for further tests to come back. According to authorities, some children were playing in the area when they noticed the body face down in the yard. "I still don't believe it was her. It's just too unbelievable that's she gone," a classmate said.

Friends and classmates sang "Amazing Grace" during a candlelight vigil. Many of the teens wept and screamed her name during the vigil. Police were called when some classmates made accusations about what lead to Rucker's death.

An autopsy was completed Saturday morning and the cause of death is pending further tests, Ramsey said.

Greenville County Sheriff's spokesman Matt Armstrong says that they are treating Rucker's death as a death investigation, suspicious in nature.

Rucker was reported missing by her family on Wednesday after she failed to show up for school or pick up her sister later in the day from school. Her belongings were found shortly thereafter along the side of the road and her car was found at the Caroline Community Center in Williamston.

News Channel 7's Carmen Coursey spoke to the family early Friday.

Stay tuned to News Channel 7 and WSPA.com for the latest on this story.

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