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Records indicate alleged drunken driver's blood level well above legal limit
By Kristen Bradley / News Staff Writer Friday, October 17, 2003
MARLBOROUGH -- Court records indicate Michael J. Murphy had a blood alcohol level one and a half times the legal limit when he crashed his Mercury Sable on Robin Hill Road in May, killing a Northborough teen.
But the parents of Rhys A. Jenkins, the 18-year-old who died in the accident, are not seeking vengeance.
Jenkins' parents, Dee and Peter, said they hopes accidents like the one that took their son's life will become learning experiences for other children.
"We wish that the children of our society do not experiment with alcohol -- as do sane parents everywhere -- but we cannot control children as they pass into adulthood, much as we wish we could," Rhys' parents said yesterday in an e-mail. "We believe, as does the district attorney's office, that speed and alcohol were involved in Rhys' death -- no sober person would drive fast enough on that road to snap a telephone pole in half."
Police said Murphy was driving "well above" the posted speed limit on Robin Hill Road when he crossed a bridge, went up an incline and out of control. Skid marks were found 30 yards from a utility pole that Murphy's car struck. The pole broke in half from the impact.
Jenkins died instantly. Murphy was flown by helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he remained in a coma for nearly a month.
Dee and Peter Jenkins said they have sympathy for the Murphy family, including Michael, who is now teaching himself how to read again.
"We consider this to be a tragedy for our family, for Michael's family, for Rhys and for Michael himself," Rhys' parents wrote. "Nothing will bring back our Rhys and to compound this tragedy with further punishment of Michael Murphy makes little sense to us as both parents and as members of society.
"We believe that Michael will carry this tragedy with him always -- as will we."
With a possible trial months away, the Jenkins family said they'd like to see some good come out of Rhys' death.
"Talking to high school juniors and seniors would seem to be an appropriate action for the commonwealth to make," Dee and Peter Jenkins wrote, referring to what they would see as a suitable punishment for Murphy. "In our opinion, the young man has already been punished by a force far greater than the commonwealth."
Murphy was arraigned earlier this month on charges of motor vehicle homicide and operating under the influence of alcohol, causing serious bodily harm. He was released without having to post bail and placed on probation while his case is pending. Murphy pleaded innocent to all charges.
Police have focused on alcohol as a factor of the accident since early in the investigation. The accident occurred May 29, just before 2 a.m. According to court records, when Murphy, 19, was admitted to the hospital immediately after the crash, his blood alcohol level was .12. The legal limit in Massachusetts is .08.
Typically -- depending on a person's age, height, weight and other characteristics -- one drink would show up as .02 on a blood alcohol test, Police Chief Mark Leonard said. The chief said he doesn't know how much alcohol Murphy consumed before getting behind the wheel. Oftentimes, he said, unless a witness provides information, it's hard to tell how many drinks a person may have had.
"It's difficult to quantify," Leonard said. "It's difficult to put a figure on it...there's always attempts to do that. At any given time, someone's blood alcohol level may be increasing or decreasing. You can certainly make some arguments one way as to what somebody's blood alcohol level may have been at a certain time."
Leonard said he wasn't surprised by the blood alcohol results based on the accident reconstruction of the scene.
When asked if speed or alcohol played a role in the death of Jenkins, Leonard said both aspects added to the crash.
"It's a combination of both," Leonard said. "I think that even if alcohol were not a factor in this crash, the speed that vehicle was traveling, that's what caused the death.
"What caused the speeding, I'm not sure. Was it judgment being impaired by alcohol? The combination of the two can be deadly. It's unfortunately what we see all the time. We do see it often with younger drivers."
(Kristen Bradley can be reached at 508-490-7463 or kbradley@cnc.com
Police lack sufficient evidence in bid to nab alleged alcohol supplier
By Kristen Bradley / News Staff Writer Friday, October 17, 2003
MARLBOROUGH -- Police do not have enough evidence to bring charges against whomever supplied the alcohol Michael Murphy allegedly drank before trying to drive home May 29.
According to Police Chief Mark Leonard, an effort was made early in the investigation to uncover where Murphy may have gotten the alcohol that showed up in his system during a breath test. But, Leonard said, detectives have come up dry.
"At this point, it does not look as though we have enough information to charge somebody who may have provided the alcohol," he said. "We just have not been able to get enough information together at this point to charge somebody with that."
According to police, Murphy, 19, Rhys Jenkins, 18, and three other teenagers were partying in the woods near the Hillside School on the night of May 28. The area, called the Reservoir, is a popular hangout, Leonard said.
"Some people call it the rope swing," Leonard said. "It's an area that's known to local kids. It's an area we've been to in the past to break up parties. That's an area that's a popular gathering spot."
Leonard said he believes Murphy was drinking there in the wooded area in the hours leading up to the crash that killed Jenkins.
(Kristen Bradley can be reached at 508-490-7463 or kbradley@cnc.com)
June 09. 2003 7:23AM Rhys' memory kept alive Algonquin diploma awarded posthumously
Sandy Quadros Bowles TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
A flag flies above graduates at Algonquin Regional High School yesterday. (PATRICIA MCDONNELL) Enlarge photo ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NORTHBORO- As they celebrated their graduation, students at Algonquin Regional High School paused several times yesterday to remember a classmate who could not be there. Rhys A. Jenkins, who was killed in a car accident 10 days before graduation, was honored with a moment of silence at the beginning of the ceremony. Mr. Jenkins, who was voted the most artistic member of the senior class, was also mentioned by all of the speakers. His diploma was the first one presented. Mr. Jenkins' classmate and best friend, William R. Chapin, accepted the diploma. Commencement speaker Luke Foley, who has taught at Algonquin Regional High School for 33 years, said Mr. Jenkins' death left everyone with a "profound sense of sorrow." The loss left him with many questions, he said. The future "is one of the great mysteries." As students work through their grief, he urged them to remember Tennyson's most famous line, from "In Memoriam," which the author wrote about the loss of a young friend: "'Tis is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." People learn from their experiences, even the painful ones, he told the new graduates. He said he believes that "the universe is unfolding exactly as it needs to to learn what we need to learn." On a lighter note, he saluted the students for their achievements. Graduation signals the end of childhood, "or at least the end of signing in and out of the toilet." "You are my hope. It works, this life of ours, or rather we can make it work." In the "hippy-dippy" language of his generation, he wished the students "peace, love and tie-dye." Class President Taylor Cotton urged students to live their lives actively, and not just vicariously through television and Internet images. Some people tune into other people's lives and forget to live their own, she noted. "It's so easy for us to sit back and let our lives blow by us. You can't find reality in the pixels of others. Have fun with your lives," she urged her classmates. "Do things. Be creative." That was one of Mr. Jenkins' legacies, she said. "Rhys lived life as he wanted to live, not how others told him" to live. After graduation, class Valedictorian Kelly Testa said, everyone starts with a clean slate. Let go of old worries and regrets and start fresh, she urged her classmates. "If you're too busy worrying about what you should have done, you'll lose the opportunity to do what you can do" in the future. Class Salutatorian Karrie Du encouraged the students to remember their Algonquin experiences, and, especially, each other. "Our friends are our lifeline." Members of Algonquin Regional High School's class of 2003 are: Elizabeth A. Abro, Emily A. Aghababian, Krystal K. Aguirre, Thomas S. Albert, Eric R. Amberson, Stuart M. Angus, Stacy L. Archibald, Nicole M. Armenio, Marie L. Ashman, Jonathan M. Ayer, Rebecca L. Bachand, Rachel A. Barberio, Shana Baroni, Leo F. Bartolini, Susan F. Bartolini, Karen A. Bedigian, Guerdon J. Bennett, Jennifer L. Benson, Nathan C. Berberian, Gregory E. Berman, Christopher M. Bertone, Maegan E. Birri, Jameson A. Borey, Sean R. Bove. Also, Jason C. Boyd, Shannon L. Branchaud, Christopher A. Bruso, Caitlyn A. Burke, Sarah J. Burnett, Michael B. Callahan, Philip D. Capezio, Blanca E. Cappello, Elizabeth J. Carroll, Michael C. Cartier, Katherine A. Cawly, Jun-Fu Chang, William R. Chapin, Andrew Wah Keung Chin, Tersa Marie Chobot, Ariel E. Chudzikiewicz, Rachel L. Cohen, Tyler R. Conway, Veronica J. Cooley, David J. Corbett, Taylor L. Cotton, Benjamin D. Cox, Shay M. Cunningham, Meghan E. Cupoli, James T. Curley-Egan, Brian K. Dale, Laila A. Dantas, Scott T. Dawe, Nathanael P. Deardorff, Megan N. Del Cid, Laura E. Deveau, Nicole M. Dimanno, Megan L. DiMatteo, Kelly A. Doherty, Brian J. Dollaway, Andrew J. Donaldson, Karrie P. Du, Donald C. Eberlin, Ofer Eldad, Brendan J. Emerson, Matthew K. Engelhardt, Jennifer L. Esposito, Alison J. Farrell, Cassandra M. Fausek, Samantha R. Fishman, Colby C. Fiske, John R. Flynn, Robert J. Fratantonio, John C. Frazier, Jonathan W. French, Kalie L. Gadaire, Emilie L. Gagne, Hua Gao, Christopher L. Garcia-Rivera, Shayna E. Garlick, Sherri L. Germain, Katharine B. Gleason, Rachel L. Goldenberg, Dylan B. Grams, Michael C. Groccia, Mathew I. Hain, Sara Hakim, Douglas M. Hamilton, Sarah A. Hamlin, Kristin B. Hamman, Jennifer B. Hanley, Briana W. Harris, Nathan H. Hartwell, Aubrey F. Hiers, Matthew D. Hillman, Ashley M. Hogan, Meghan M. Hogan, Helal K. Homiadan, Sean J. Hyde, Bruce J. Iannarelli, Chase W. Isabelle, Rhys Andrew Jenkins, Gregory C. Johnson, Margaret M. Johnson, Ryan T. Johnson, Ryan S. Johnson, Jodie E. Jordan, Jennifer A. Joubert, Michael P. Joyce, Blair S. Judson. Also, Kevin Kao, Nicholas C. Kazanovicz, Jessica J. Keegan, Bethany A. Kement, Kathryn M. Kement, Evita M. Kerber, Nasim Khoshkhou, Matthew A. Kluge, Steven M. Kolk, Paul A. Laidler, Kristen N. Laramie, Michael J. Ledone, Edward J. Ledoux, Justin A. Legg, Timothy G. Lepore, Amy E. Lessner, Aimee J. Levesque, Matthew D. Lewis, Josh Liang, Rebecca E. Long, Justin W. Lord, Christopher C. Louthan, Katherine E. Lupien, Shanna M. Lutke, Kristen M. MacDonald, Christopher R. Mader, Christiana T. Maiella, David D. Marian, Steven C. Marshall, Francis E. Mason, Justin D. Mason, Jeannette A. Matthews, Kaitlin E. Matthews, Hayley E. Maxim, John P. McCann, Brian P. McNamara, Amanda L. Melemed, Rachel M. Mercer, Renee L. Mercer, Daniel J. Milano, Andrew S. Millett, Marissa A. Milton, Christopher D. Moreno, Jared P. Morin, Christopher M. Morris, Alexandra B. Morrison, Jennifer M. Morse, Rasha I. Mortada, Anita Mukherjee, Danielle A. Murphy, Jeanne M. Murray, Michael D. Neivert, Christina T. Ng, Erin M. Nichol, Benjamin H. Nutter, Mark S. Ostrosky, Ian S. Otenti, Graham A. Palermo, Bethany L. Pasco, Sarah I. Passarelli, Legia A. Pisinski, Anna R. Poteete, Johanna L. Prader, Jamie B. Provencher, Stephanie M. Pugsley, Garrett J. Quinn, John A. Racine, Yasmeen S. Ramadan, Samuel K. Ratner, Allison L. Rebello, Juliane M. Reczek, Briana L. Ritacco, Genevieve L. Robinson, Travis W. Rollins, Lauren R. Rosenblum, Matthew D. Rosi, Joshua A. Ross, Suzanne B. Rost. Also, Christopher A. Saliba, Gregory B. Sanborn, Elisabeth B. Sartori, Eric F. Schavoir, Kendall T. Schmidt, Matthew P. Schmidt, Chaylen Seale, Alissa R. Sefton, Marisa K. Shuman, Brenna A. Simoneau, Lindsay E. Sinclair, Lauren B. Smith, Shannon L. Smith, Sara R. Solis, Reed H. Southard, Jodi L. Stearns, Caitlin M. Stephan, Brandon P. Stevens, Alissa G. Stock, Ashley B. Stone, Heather R. Stone, Jennifer K. Stone, Sadie Elizabeth S. Kelly K. Strout, John Stupak III, Joshua B. Sturgeon, Katelyn A. Sullivan, Michael W. Sullivan, Morgan L. Sullivan, Jordan M. Suppan, Dylan P. Taylor, Michael T. Taylor, Kelly M. Testa, Patricia A. Thebado, Danielle A. Thebodo, Paul M. Tilley, Robert H. Titus, Joanne E. Tripp, Genevieve M. Valentine, Sarah P. van de Merwe, Susan L. van de Merwe, Bryce J. VanderPoel, Dennis M. Vargo, Marc E. Vermouth, Jacob O.H. Wahlgren, Erica N. Wallace, Cole M. Walsh, Thomas A. Walsh, Brian G. Weber, Frederick J. Webster, Dana R. Weinstein, Amanda S. Weintraub, Jessica P. Wester, Jason B. Whittier, Kaitlyn M. Wickman, Jeffrey J. Zieba, Andrew R. Zimmerman, Scott G. Zupfer.
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June 05. 2003 6:51AM Teenager's short life passionately lived
Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Peter Jenkins holds a hacky sack that his son Rhys used in an impromptu street performance on a trip to Italy. Mr. Jenkins was in his son's bedroom as he talked about his adventurous life. (T&G Staff/ RICK CINCLAIR) Enlarge photo ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NORTHBORO- From the time he was a toddler, Rhys A. Jenkins' parents knew their son was unique. By the age of 3 he was already drawing pictures of family members. One day when he was 10, he came home and told his parents he wanted drum lessons. A month later, he wanted violin lessons. Singing and guitar lessons soon followed. In between his music and art lessons, he honed his skills at photography and published two books of poetry. His father, Peter R. Jenkins, in an interview at his home yesterday, proudly remembered the intriguing life and many accomplishments of his 18-year-old son, who was killed in a car accident in Marlboro last Thursday. Mr. Jenkins said his "soft and gentle" son, who "was always thinking," packed a lot of living in his short life. "Anything that he wanted to do, he did with ferocious attention. Anything he didn't want to do, he didn't do," said the software designer, who immigrated from Wales 20 years ago. "He hasn't watched TV since he was 12. He decided one day that it was a compete waste of time." Rhys chose to use his time developing his music, art and poetry and hanging out with his friends, often riding an old golf cart on the family's expansive property. The books he chose to read reflected his intellect and his thirst for knowledge. "War and Peace" and Shakespeare's literary works were among his leisure reading. Before he died, he was reading "Siddhartha," a book about Buddhism by Hermann Hesse, and the book was buried with him. Rhys' life was further enriched by extensive travels with his parents and younger brother, Anthony, a computer whiz and aspiring artist who attends the Wheeler School in Providence. His mother, Delores, is a flight attendant with American Airlines. Mr. Jenkins said his wife has put hundreds of thousands of miles on the family's cars taking their sons to classes. After Rhys completed Touchstone Community School in Grafton, the family moved from Franklin to Northboro because of the outstanding reputation of Algonquin Regional High School. Rhys was voted "most artistic" in his class and would have graduated Sunday. The family's rambling contemporary home is filled with the teenager's colorful and eclectic pottery, paintings and drawings. His bedroom is a diary of the extraordinarily gifted and popular young man's short life. Mr. Jenkins said his son was able to find art in most anything, including rubble he collected from the side of busy Bartlett Street. A wheelchair wheel adorned with beads and three shark teeth, an old steering wheel, hub cabs, fashioned into eccentric art hang from the ceiling over his bed. A row of toy soldiers are glued upside down to the ceiling. His walls are covered with funny and philosophical notes and magazine clippings. There are also pictures of Marilyn Monroe and his favorite musicians, including Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix, all three of who, like Rhys, died young. When he decided he no longer wanted to wear his hair in dreads, he snipped off the tangled locks and used them to adorn a lamp shade in his room. Rhys' uniqueness was also revealed in ways more typical of someone his age. On a recent school trip to Italy, while his classmates were sightseeing, Rhys attracted crowds around him in St. Mark's Square as he demonstrated his hacky sack skills. Mr. Jenkins said his son returned home with several hundred dollars people gave him for the performance. One of his favorite pastimes was to gather at a local swimming hole with his friends to play his guitar and dip into the frigid waters. Mr. Jenkins said his son and four other teens were coming from a late-night outing at their popular hangout when the fatal accident occurred. Contrary to published reports, they were not coming from a rock concert in Boston, he said. Police have charged the driver, Michael J. Murphy, 18, of Marlboro, with homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding. He remained in critical condition at UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester. Three other occupants received minor injuries. Mr. Jenkins said his son was in the Murphy car because his best friend Ryan O'Connor, with whom he normally rode, had gone home earlier. A toxicology report from the medical examiner's office indicated that Rhys had not consumed any alcohol or illicit drugs, Mr. Jenkins said. He said while his heart goes out to the Murphy family, the charges are worthwhile to teach teenagers that there are life and death consequences for their actions. That is the message he has tried to relay to the hundreds of teenagers who have gathered at the family home and at a candle light vigil a few days ago. "I told them, "If you can do only one thing for my Rhys just think before you make decisions. Look around. Think of your friends. Be caring for your friends and tell your friends to slow down," Mr. Jenkins said. "I told them, "Take your friends keys away. Hide them if you need to. Realize that true friends do things to help their friends." The family has done several things to immortalize their son's memory. The "Rhys" Art Scholarship has been established at Algonquin. Donations can be sent to the scholarship, c/o Algonquin Regional High School, 79 Bartlett St., Northboro, MA 01532. A website, www.4Rhys.com has been established to collect and share the teenager's works of art, music and poetry. A DVD and CD of his work is also planned. A museum to house the teenager's art will be built near a home in Dartmouth where the family plans to move to be closer to Mrs. Jenkins' family. Mr. Jenkins said the museum was originally planned to entice Rhys to work there after he graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Rhys was buried about a mile from the family's new home.
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This article was written by Matt Viser of the Boston Globe. It appeared on page 1 of the Globe on 6/5/2003.
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THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING ------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORTHBOROUGH Algonquin spirits dampened by loss
By Matt Viser, Globe Correspondent, 6/5/2003
When seniors don caps and gowns Sunday, the Algonquin football field will be filled with more sorrow than celebration, as students continue to mourn the sudden death of a classmate who was supposed to be sitting among them.
The senior class has decided to wear yellow ribbons in remembrance of Rhys A. Jenkins, who died last week in a car accident, and his parents, who will not attend graduation, have requested that their son's diploma be accepted by his best friend, Will Chapin.
''It's just so recent that I don't feel that anyone will really be able to celebrate,'' said senior Anita Mukherjee. ''It will be more a day of solemn and remembrance. I'm not expecting it to be very happy.''
Throughout the week, students have held spontaneous vigils, placed T-shirts and flowers at the site of the accident, and gathered at the Jenkins's home.
On Tuesday, about 400 students, faculty, and members of the community packed the sanctuary of St. Rose of Lima Church in Northborough for Jenkins's funeral.
''Could the accident have been avoided? Absolutely. Will it happen again? There's no doubt about it,'' said Tom O'Connor father of Ryan O'Connor, a friend of Jenkins, in a tearful eulogy that was directed mostly at the students in the congregation. ''Think about Rhys every time you drive. Think of Rhys whenever you're driving too fast or when you're responsible for another life.''
Jenkins was pronounced dead early last Thursday morning after leaving a party held to celebrate the end of the school year. Jenkins was riding in the passenger seat behind the driver; none of the passengers were wearing seat belts when the car struck a utility pole on Robin Hill Road near the Northborough-Marlborough line, according to police.
Marlborough police have charged the driver of the car, Michael J. Murphy, 18, with homicide by motor vehicle under the influence of liquor, operating recklessly, speeding, failure to keep right, and failure to wear a seat belt.
''We grieve for the driver of the car,'' Jenkins's father, Peter, said in a telephone interview. ''In reality, that could have been any of them.''
Three of the passengers in the crash suffered minor injuries and were able to walk away. Jenkins was pronounced dead at the scene and, at Globe West press time, Murphy, who graduated last year from Marlborough High School, was still at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.
At the request of the family, a hospital spokeswoman would not release his condition.
Seniors, whose final class was last Wednesday, were notified after the accident that taking exams would be optional, so many did not attend school this week. Tonight's Senior Ball, a dance held at Castle Hill in Ipswich, will be the first time since the accident that the seniors will formally gather together.
Jenkins, who at 12 years old stopped watching television because it was ''a waste of time,'' was a well-liked student who devoted his life to art and music.
He was voted ''Most Artistic'' this year by his classmates, and art teacher George Hancin described him as someone who painted ''intense portraits'' and was ''a phenom at the pottery wheel.''
He also played five different instruments and planned on attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in the fall. His girlfriend of four years, Jes Peppi, is in her second year at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.
Jenkins was eager to graduate and had already packed his bags for a European trip that he had been planning with his cousin.
''He was so happy to be leaving school,'' said his father. ''He was ready to graduate and move on with his life.''
The Jenkins family created a website devoted to their son. The site, www.4rhys.com, has been flooded with condolences and letters addressed to Jenkins. They have also established ''The Rhys Art Scholarship,'' and they are producing a CD of Jenkins's songs, poems, and art.
After the traditional funeral Mass, a small service was held at the grave site in Dartmouth.
''This [was] the first time he set foot in a church,'' said his father, who described his son as spiritual but not religious. ''Rhys would smile at the irony.''
Jenkins was buried with a hacky sack in one pocket and sand from Wales, his parents' homeland, in the other. Inside his front pocket, his parents placed Hermann Hesse's ''Siddhartha,'' a book that Jenkins had recently begun but in which he had only reached page 22.
''He was a gentle soul,'' his father said. ''He was a gentle, gentle soul. He was a nice human being. That's trite. But it's the truth.''
Matt Viser can be reached at viser@globe.com.
This story ran on page 1 of the Boston Globe on 6/5/2003. © Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
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Hundreds mourn teen By Michelle Muellenberg / News Staff Writer Tuesday, June 3, 2003
NORTHBOROUGH -- Memories, both written and spoken, filled the Historical Society building yesterday as family and friends remembered a young and talented 18-year-old who had an eye for the arts.
Hundreds gathered to mourn the death and celebrate the life of Rhys A. Jenkins, an Algonquin High School senior who died in a car accident early Thursday morning.
Jenkins was killed when the car he was riding in crashed into a utility pole on Robin Hill Road in Marlborough. The driver of the car has been charged with vehicular homicide and operating under the influence of alcohol.
Jenkins, who was voted "Most Artistic" by his classmates, would have graduated this Sunday and planned to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in the fall.
"We have been celebrating his life more than ever," one of his classmates said after the wake yesterday. "We all love him very much."
When asked if Sunday's graduation would be especially difficult, the senior said, "Everything's tainted.
"We wish he was here. That's the only way to put it," she said.
Those who attended yesterday's wake had an opportunity to view a glimpse of Rhys' work with charcoal drawings and paintings lining one wall.
Many also wrote messages to the young artist on a piece of poster board titled "Friends of Rhys."
One person quoted a Billy Joel song: "Only the Good Die Young."
In the days since the accident, friends of the creative senior have come together to remember his life in several different ways.
Many of his friends have spent time at the Jenkins family home on Bartlett Street.
Last Friday night, some of Rhys' high school friends organized a vigil at the town's park and spelled his name with lit candles.
Students arranged the vigil in secret, fearing the media might show up, according to an e-mail from Peter Jenkins, Rhys' father.
Friends and family were unable to visit the crash site because of the intense media coverage, Peter Jenkins said.
In an e-mail sent Saturday to local newspapers, the grieving father asked the media to respect the family's privacy.
"We grieve for our Rhys, and if anyone wants to understand our grief, they should imagine listening to a mother wail as she irons her son's suit for the funeral instead of for graduation," Peter Jenkins wrote in an e-mail.
"Hundreds of kids have been to our house over the past two days. When you next see a group of high school seniors, don't think that you see a gang -- you should see them all in tears, hugging each other and telling stories about our Rhys. Think of them, and hug all of your children."
The Jenkins family also set up a Web site in honor of Rhys where friends and family can post messages.
More than 40 people yesterday had written memories, condolences to the family and messages for Rhys on www.4rhys.com.
"Rhys, I know you're in heaven smiling down. You truly touched my heart in a way I don't think you know you did. You taught me so much and really opened my eyes to the world around me. You always left me with a smile on my face and I thank you so much for that Rhys. I cherish all the time I had with you and all the memories as well. I will never forget you. I know you are up there with some of the very best. Now it's time to paint the heavens," wrote Sadie.
Another friend, Posey Kooris, wrote, "If we could have written the story this surely would never have been in the book. How do we go foward? How do we write the next chapter? Only time will tell. We grieve for you now and long for times gone by. Until we meet again."
Peter Jenkins also wrote a parting message on the site.
"None of us are immortal, not even high school seniors, and as I said at the vigil, friends tell friends to slow down, friends hide car keys, friends designate themselves as drivers. And friends will say 'remember Rhys' when they tell someone to slow down, that will be the best thing any of you can do for our Rhys."
The funeral service was set for today at 10 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church, 244 West Main St., Northborough.
Burial was to take place at a cemetery at the Smith Neck Friends Meeting House in South Dartmouth. There will be a graveside service conducted by Minister Steve Terrell for Rhys' friends and family starting at 1 p.m.
A police officer will direct traffic and the field next to the meeting house will be opened for parking.
Donations in memory of Jenkins can be made to the Rhys Art Scholarship, in care of Algonquin Regional High School, 79 Bartlett St., Northborough.
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Remembering Rhys: Friends, loved ones gather to say goodbye By Michelle Muellenberg / News Staff Writer Wednesday, June 4, 2003
NORTHBOROUGH -- Friends, family, faculty and staff bid a tearful farwell yesterday to Rhys A. Jenkins, a high school senior with a charismatic smile that warmed the hearts of those who knew him.
Hundreds packed St. Rose of Lima Church to remember the 18-year-old who hoped to one day make Hacky Sack an Olympic sport, an aspiring artist who touched many lives with his music, poetry, paintings and pottery.
Some of those closest to Jenkins spoke of a teenager who lived life to the fullest and helped others around him do the same.
"He had a big, kind heart. That is what I'll remember most about him," said Algonquin Regional High School art teacher George Hancin. "He made everyone feel comfortable. He had an engaging smile and didn't dwell on the negative."
Jenkins died early Thursday morning when the car he was riding in crashed into a utility pole on Robin Hill Road in Marlborough. The driver of the car, Michael Murphy, 18, of Marlborough, has been charged with vehicular homicide and operating under the influence of alcohol.
Voted "most artistic" by his Algonquin classmates, Jenkins would have graduated Sunday. He planned to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in the fall.
Hancin remembered the students' recent trip to Venice, Italy, where Rhys impressed locals and visitors with his Hacky Sack moves.
"He became a tourist attraction," he said.
Hancin said he knew of Jenkins' reputation in art before actually meeting the talented student.
Before having him as a student, Hancin was impressed when hearing Jenkins won a "Gold Key" award for a charcoaled self-portrait in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards.
Jenkins also achieved his goal of making the largest coiled piece of pottery at Algonquin, Hancin said.
"He didn't do anything halfway."
The loss of Rhys is not only a tragedy for those who knew him but also for those who would have known him, said June Chapin, a family friend whose son grew up with Jenkins.
"We lost a friend and Rhys lost his future," Chapin said. "This is also a loss to the rest of the world who will never have a chance to know him. He would've made a difference in the art world."
Whether a butterfly, sunshine or an abstract painting, Rhys will always be here, Chapin said.
Tom O'Connor, another family friend whose son Ryan was a longtime friend of Rhys, remembered visiting a bookstore with Jenkins when he decided to buy Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace."
"I'll remember his uniqueness and search for knowledge," he said.
O'Connor told the mourners to remember Jenkins when getting behind the wheel of a car and "everytime you are responsible for other lives."
Those who knew the vibrant teen are feeling a mixture of emotions from anger to guilt to sadness.
The Rev. James Houston said Jenkins' death eventually will make people stronger. "Tragedy breaks our world into pieces," he said. "We are changed by an experience like this. Like love, tragedy makes us come out stronger."
Although Jenkins' life was cut short, Houston said it isn't a person's time on earth that matters most, it is how that time is lived.
"You measure life by what happens in our lives not by the length," he said.
Jenkins was only 18, but in his short life he traveled to Italy, sang and played guitar at a local cafe, learned how to play the drums, bass guitar and violin, mastered various art forms and made a profound impression on everyone he met.
Donations to the Rhys Art Scholarship may be made in care of Algonquin Regional High School, 79 Bartlett St., Northborough, MA 01532.
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http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/news/local_regional/marl_jenkinsfuneral06022003.htm
Teen's funeral tonight By Norman Miller / Cnc Staff Writer Monday, June 2, 2003
MARLBOROUGH -- As Algonquin students, friends and family prepare for tonight's calling hours for Rhys Jenkins, the Marlborough teen charged in Jenkins' death remained hospitalized in critical condition yesterday.
Michael Murphy, 18, of Marlborough, is charged with vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor and reckless operation of a motor vehicle after an early-morning accident in Marlborough Thursday.
He remains in critical condition at the UMass-Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, police said.
Neighbors expect a large number of people to pay their respects to Jenkins' family this evening at Hays Funeral Home in Northborough.
The Northborough Historical Society, located next to the 56 Main St. funeral home, will also be open during the 4 to 8 p.m. calling hours, said Karyn Holbrook of Northborough.
"(The teenagers) will need a place to congregate," Holbrook said. "There will be some adults there, in case they need someone to talk to. At least this will give them a place to go."
Police allege Murphy was drunk when he crashed his car into a utility pole. Jenkins, a senior who was scheduled to graduate from Algonquin Regional High School next weekend, was a passenger in the car.
According to police, the car was traveling westbound on Robin Hill Road at around 2 a.m., about a mile from the Hillside School, when it went out of control. The Mercury Sable skidded and hit a utility pole and fire hydrant, splitting the pole and knocking over the hydrant.
Police have said that none of the occupants were wearing seat belts.
Cory Williams, 18, of Northborough, Suzanne Chapdelaine, 19, also of Northborough, and Jeff Gordon, 19, of Waltham, were injured in the crash.
Williams, Chapdelaine and Gordon were taken to Marlborough Hospital, treated and released.
Along with the criminal charges, Murphy was also cited for speeding, failure to keep right and failure to wear a seat belt, police said.
On Saturday, a hospital spokeswoman said Murphy was in "very critical" condition, but yesterday a spokeswoman would not release further information on his condition.
Police said Murphy remained in critical condition.
Holbrook is requesting donations of refreshments for the gathering at the Historical Society. Those who would like to donate can contact Holbrook at 508-393-4849 or drop off items at 9 Laurel Ave., Northborough.
(News staff writer Carolyn Kessel contributed to this story)
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Teen's wake is tonight: Driver in crash still in critical condition By Norman Miller / News Staff Writer Monday, June 2, 2003
MARLBOROUGH -- As Algonquin students, friends and family prepare for tonight's calling hours for Rhys Jenkins, the Marlborough teen charged in Jenkins' death remained hospitalized in critical condition yesterday.
Michael Murphy, 18, of Marlborough, is charged with vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor and reckless operation of a motor vehicle after an early-morning accident in Marlborough Thursday.
He remains in critical condition at the UMass-Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, police said.
Neighbors expect a large number of people to pay their respects to Jenkins' family this evening at Hays Funeral Home in Northborough.
The Northborough Historical Society, located next to the 56 Main St. funeral home, will also be open during the 4 to 8 p.m. calling hours, said Karyn Holbrook of Northborough.
"(The teenagers) will need a place to congregate," Holbrook said. "There will be some adults there, in case they need someone to talk to. At least this will give them a place to go."
Police allege Murphy was drunk when he crashed his car into a utility pole. Jenkins, a senior who was scheduled to graduate from Algonquin Regional High School next weekend, was a passenger in the car.
According to police, the car was traveling westbound on Robin Hill Road at around 2 a.m., about a mile from the Hillside School, when it went out of control. The Mercury Sable skidded and hit a utility pole and fire hydrant, splitting the pole and knocking over the hydrant.
Police have said that none of the occupants were wearing seat belts.
Cory Williams, 18, of Northborough, Suzanne Chapdelaine, 19, also of Northborough, and Jeff Gordon, 19, of Waltham, were injured in the crash.
Williams, Chapdelaine and Gordon were taken to Marlborough Hospital, treated and released.
Along with the criminal charges, Murphy was also cited for speeding, failure to keep right and failure to wear a seat belt, police said.
On Saturday, a hospital spokeswoman said Murphy was in "very critical" condition, but yesterday a spokeswoman would not release further information on his condition.
Police said Murphy remained in critical condition.
Holbrook is requesting donations of refreshments for the gathering at the Historical Society. Those who would like to donate can contact Holbrook at 508-393-4849 or drop off items at 9 Laurel Ave., Northborough.
(News Staff Writer Carolyn Kessel contributed to this story)
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Police explain charges as teen driver clings to life By Kristen Bradley / News Staff Writer Tuesday, June 3, 2003
MARLBOROUGH -- One local family will bury their 18-year-old son today while another continues to hold out hope that their teenager will survive.
Michael J. Murphy, 18, of Marlborough, the driver of the car that crashed into a utility pole on Robin Hill Road early Thursday morning, killing 18-year-old Rhys A. Jenkins, remains in critical condition at a Worcester Hospital.
The Murphy family has not spoken to the media since their son was charged Friday with vehicular homicide and operating under the influence of alcohol while operating recklessly.
Word of the charges was delivered by Marlborough Police to Murphy's father Friday afternoon at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.
Police Chief Mark Leonard said that once there was enough evidence against Murphy, charges had to be filed regardless of the teen's condition.
"It's not that we wanted to add insult to injury," Leonard said. "Once we develop enough information to charge the driver, any delay in doing that could be a defense for that citation. We have to make sure that we don't open that door for someone to put up a defense.
"There was no legal reason to wait," he said. "We had the information we needed to put those charges forward, and we did."
The charges, which could send Murphy to prison for 15 years if he is convicted, came after police spent Thursday and Friday reconstructing the accident scene and talking to people who knew Murphy and the teens riding in his Mercury Sable.
Three others -- Cory R. Williams, 18, and Suzanne N. Chapdelaine, 19, of Northborough and Jeff Gordon, 19, of Waltham -- were injured in the accident that occurred just before 2 a.m.
Their injuries were minor. Police said no one was wearing a seat belt.
Police believe Murphy had been drinking before he drove across a bridge, went up an incline and lost control of his car. Skid marks were found 30 yards from the utility pole, which was broken in two from the impact.
The driver's side of the car was crushed. Jenkins was sitting in the backseat behind Murphy and was trapped. He was not breathing and had no pulse when paramedics arrived.
Minutes later, he was pronounced dead.
"Any time you add alcohol or drugs and someone tries to drive under the influence, it certainly impairs their ability to do that," Leonard said. "You add something like speed into the equation and a roadway that was not built for that type of speed, and once a car in that situation goes out of control, it's very difficult to regain control.
"You get to the point of no return, and it's just too late," he said. "We believe alcohol combined with speed to be the main cause of that accident."
The speed limit on Robin Hill Road is 30 mph. Leonard said Murphy's car was traveling well above the posted speed. He would not release Murphy's blood alcohol level.
The question remaining is where Murphy may have gotten the alcohol. Leonard said he plans to find the answer.
"We're still investigating that whole end of things and where they may have gotten the alcohol," he said, adding that the investigation will be on hold until after the funeral services and burial today for Jenkins.
"I think certainly, criminally, they could be looking at procuring alcohol for minors," Leonard said of possible charges that could be filed against whomever may have provided the teens with the alcohol.
"There could certainly be some civil issues down the road. We'd be interested if there's any criminal involvement where somebody did in fact purchase alcohol for minors. Hopefully if that was the case, we'll be able to determine that and bring charges forward."
Published reports have said that the carload of teens was headed back from an all-ages concert at Avalon -- a nightclub on Landsdowne Street in Boston.
Leonard would not comment on Avalon but said police are investigating where Murphy may have been before the accident.
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May 30. 2003 6:52AM 'Most artistic' Algonquin senior killed Car crashes into pole in Marlboro
Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Tom O'Connor, whose son, Ryan, was a longtime close friend of crash victim Rhys Jenkins, reflects at the scene of the accident Thursday on Robin Hill Road in Marlboro. (T&G Staff / CHRIS CHRISTO) Enlarge photo ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MARLBORO- An 18-year-old high-school senior was killed and an 18-year-old driver was left in critical condition when their car hit a fire hydrant and wrapped around a utility pole on Robin Hill Road early yes-terday morning. Police said paramedics pronounced Rhys A. Jenkins, 18, of 111 Bartlett St., Northboro, dead at the crash site. Voted the most artistic in his class, Mr. Jenkins was scheduled to graduate from Algonquin Regional High School in Northboro on June 8. The driver of the 1996 Mercury Sable, Michael J. Murphy, 18, of 25 Thomas Drive, Marlboro, was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester in what police said was critical condition. Mr. Murphy was a 2002 graduate of Marlboro High School. Three other passengers had minor injuries. They are Cory R. Williams, 18, of 77 Pinehaven Drive, Northboro; Suzanne N. Chapdelaine, 19, of 220 Church St., Northboro; and Jeff Gordon, 19, of 60 Winthrop St., Waltham. Police said they received a 911 call at 1:52 a.m. that a vehicle had hit a utility pole and a fire hydrant on Robin Hill Road at Pondview Drive, a new road that leads into the Sepracor campus across from Millham Reservoir. The crash snapped the utility pole, and the company was closed yesterday because it was left without power.
Rhys Jenkins Enlarge photo ------------------------------------------------------------------------Police Chief Mark Leonard said skid marks indicate the car was sliding sideways when it struck the pole, crushing the driver's side. "The car basically wrapped around the pole. There's a big indentation of the pole behind the driver's door. That took the brunt of the force," he said. Mr. Jenkins was in the back seat behind the driver. The other three passengers were walking around in the road when police arrived. Police said they do not believe any of the occupants had been wearing seat belts. Chief Leonard said that in this type of accident he is not sure whether seat belts would have lessened the injuries sustained by Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Murphy. He said the investigation is continuing to determine what factors were involved in causing the accident. "This time of year - prom and graduation season - we always have extra patrols out there to try to prevent things like this from happening, but unfortunately, every so often things like this happen. It's such a tragic, but preventable accident," Chief Leonard said. The crisis team at Algonquin provided counseling and support for students and teachers yesterday. Ms. Chapdelaine graduated from Algonquin last year. Mr. Williams dropped out of Algonquin last year, according to school administrators. "Rhys's shy smile and disarming manner will be remembered and missed by students and staff," Principal Edward J. Gallagher III said in a news release. "This is truly a loss to our school and community." The student had planned to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in the fall. His eye-catching pottery and large colorful abstract paintings fill his family's sprawling contemporary home, only a few yards from the high school. Rhys was the son of Peter and Delores Jenkins, who have another son, Anthony, 13. Mr. Jenkins is a technology consultant at Candle Corp. in Westboro, and Mrs. Jenkins is a flight attendant for American Airlines. June Chapin, a family friend who was at the home yesterday, said she wishes she could "back the day up and start over." "He was a great kid. This is such a loss to the future artistic community," Mrs. Chapin said, pointing out pieces of Mr. Jenkins' artwork throughout the home. "He was just a very, very creative person. He saw things differently. You and I would see a red car. He would see something much more spectacular." Close friends of Rhys brought his parents a bouquet of roses and lilies earlier in the day. Others placed flowers and a white teddy bear at the accident site. Several teenagers gathered outside the home, comforting one another and remembering their friend. "He was a good person. Everybody liked him," said Danielle Murphy, a senior who had known Rhys since ninth grade. "Rhys was a very unique person. He never cared what people thought or said about him." Cory Cocomazzi of Southboro, who graduated from Algonquin last year and now attends the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, said he had not seen much of his friend in the past year. But he recalled enjoyable times, including riding around the Jenkins' spacious property in a golf cart with Rhys. "Rhys was such a nice person. I could always joke around with him. We had a really similar sense of humor," Mr. Cocomazzi said. "He was just really easy to get along with. Pretty much anyone you ask will say the same thing." A teary-eyed friend of Rhys who declined to give her name said, "He was really carefree ... definitely a free spirit. He lived life intensely."
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Life was art for student killed in crash By Michelle Muellenberg / News Staff Writer Friday, May 30, 2003
NORTHBOROUGH -- Rhys Jenkins expressed himself through art.
Whether shooting a photograph, teaching a friend pottery or playing guitar at a local cafe, the 18-year-old Algonquin High student had a passion to create.
However, the senior voted "Most Artistic" by his classmates will leave an empty seat at next weekend's graduation.
Jenkins was killed early yesterday morning when the car he was riding in crashed into a utility pole on Robin Hill Road in Marlborough.
Three other teenagers, Jeff Gordon, 19, of Waltham, Cory Williams, 18, of Northborough, and Suzanne Chapdelaine, 19, of Northborough, received minor injuries. Williams and Chapdelaine are former Algonquin Regional High School students.
The driver, Michael Murphy, 18, of Marlborough remains in critical condition at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. Police are trying to determine a cause.
Friends of the student who was heading to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in the fall left flowers, stuffed animals and signs reading "We Love You Rhys" at the accident site.
People who knew Jenkins and those who just passed him in the halls felt grief and shock after hearing the news yesterday.
"It's hard to go to school with someone for four years and then not have them here," said senior Jeanne Murray. "Everyone was very upset."
Murray said grief counselors as well as Principal Ned Gallagher and Assistant Principal John Harrington were on hand if students needed to talk.
After receiving a call at 5:20 a.m. from Northborough Police that Jenkins had died, Gallagher immediately called in a crisis team.
"We met at the school first thing in the morning to develop a strategy for dealing with the students," he said yesterday. "At 9 a.m. teachers told the students. He was a well-liked student and someone that we'll miss."
Superintendent Bob Melican echoed the principal's sentiments.
"This has had a major impact on Algonquin Regional High School. This is a sad day for the Jenkins family, the students and the staff. Our hearts go out to them."
Because of the tragedy, senior exams will be optional, Gallagher said.
"There may be students so upset by (the accident) they are not able to take the tests," he said.
For those students, Gallagher said their final grade will be a combination of all four quarters.
Grief counselors will be at the school for the next several days.
Algonquin art teacher George Hancin had Jenkins in many of his classes and had written a recommendation for his college applications.
"He was one of the best students I had in a long time," Hancin said. "He had a lot of talent."
Jenkins showed interest in all forms of art, from painting and drawing to photography and pottery. Two of his charcoal drawings are hanging in the Southborough Arts Center as part of the high school's annual art show.
"That is not even his best work," Hancin said, referring to the works on display. "Most of his best work was in pottery this year. He didn't even apply himself as much as he could've. All of us were looking forward to seeing what he would do in college. Now he's not going to have that chance."
Peter Jenkins, Rhys' father, compiled a long list of his son's accomplishments and other activities throughout his four years. Rhys was selected as a participant in the Massachusetts Art All-State program and won a "Gold Key" award for a charcoaled self-portrait in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards. The young artist also had works of poetry published in "Poetry of the Millennium" and "Gifts of the Soul," both in the Library of Congress, as well as the high school's literary magazine, the Sachem.
Besides the visual arts, Rhys had a knack for music. At age 12, he started lessons for the drums, guitar, bass, violin and voice. He attended the World Percussion Festival and a five-week summer performance program at the Berklee College of Music.
For students and teachers at Algonquin, the years have brought too many car accidents, and too many painful lessons about life's fragility.
"We've had a couple of situations in which students have died in accidents, and we've had to deal with this," Gallagher said. "This brings back memories of other tragedies in the school and others in (the students') lives."
Almost exactly two years ago, 19-year-old Brandon Santucci died several days after falling off a moving car driven by a friend. According to other friends, the Northborough resident had been sitting on the car and injured his head in the "freak" accident. The senior was weeks away from graduating.
In September 1999, 16-year-old Joelle Logiudice was killed when riding on the back of a motorcycle on West Main Street in Northborough that collided with a vehicle. Her friend, the motorcycle's driver, was hurt, and the driver of the other vehicle was charged in the accident. The Southborough teen had just started her junior year.
And in 1995, Northborough brothers Reed and Robert Nixon, who were 17 and 16 at the time, were both paralyzed when their van crashed on the way home from church.
After extensive rehabilitation, both brothers eventually went on to college. Robert Nixon, who regained the use of his arms, got to carry the Olympic Torch in Boston in late 2001.
Murray hoped the Class of 2003 would be the lucky one.
"We thought we had made it."
She said seniors will wear ribbons in honor of Jenkins at their graduation June 8.
Bob Chapin, a friend of the Jenkins family, was at their home yesterday afternoon expressing his condolences. "My son grew up with him. He was a good kid," Chapin said. "He was just starting a new chapter in his life, and he didn't even get to the first chapter."
Donations can be made to the Rhys Art Scholarship, in care of Algonquin Regional High School, 79 Bartlett St., Northborough.
(News Staff Writer Jennifer Kavanaugh contributed to this report)
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