Grave trips called harassment
By Maria Armental
(Morris County, N.J.) Daily Record
DOVER, N.J. — The chaperone of a cheerleading trip to Hawai'i this year in which an 18-year-old student fell to her death was charged yesterday with harassment for visiting the cheerleader's grave against the family's wishes, police said.
Sue Sadler, 42, of Randolph, was charged with one count of harassment yesterday afternoon after she continued visiting the grave of Lauren Crossan of Randolph, N.J., bringing flowers and leaving at least two handwritten notes at the base of a memorial the family set up next to their daughter's mausoleum crypt, Detective Steven Brennan said.
If convicted, Sadler could face up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
"Apparently, (Sadler) has been visiting the gravesite of Lauren Crossan," said Capt. Peter Ugalde. "At some point in time, the family became aware of it and felt that it was harassing in nature."
Brennan said the family complained to police May 20 that Sadler had been leaving items at their daughter's grave in Locust Hill Cemetery. Brennan contacted Sadler, who admitted having visited the grave at least three times a week to pay her respects.
Sadler also admitted to having written two of the notes found at Crossan's tombstone, in which she expressed the pain she felt over Crossan's death.
Brennan said the Crossans simply asked for Sadler to stop visiting the grave, but she returned there again this week.
"It's extremely annoying and harassing to them," Brennan said. "It's very upsetting.
"They don't feel she has any right to leave any type of memorabilia on her memorial," he added.
It is unclear who wrote a third note found at the gravesite Wednesday. The typewritten note, which Brennan described as "very disturbing," made allegations about Crossan drinking alcohol and engaging in sexual acts, he said.
That note, he said, "is definitely criminal in nature."
Crossan was to perform at the half-time show at the Hula Bowl in Maui on Jan. 17. She died Jan. 12 after falling from a ninth-floor balcony at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, where she and other cheerleaders were staying. Her nude body was found in foliage below the balcony.
An autopsy showed she had a blood alcohol level of .17, more than twice the legal drinking limit of .08 percent, according to Dr. Anthony Manoukian, Maui County medical examiner. No drugs were involved, he said.
Authorities said Crossan died less than 12 hours after her arrival on Maui.
Sadler, whose daughter also was to participate at the event, was the chaperone on the trip in charge of her daughter, Crossan and a third Randolph cheerleader.
Maui police questioned the two California men, 19 and 20, who were registered to the room from which Crossan fell. They told police they were asleep when Crossan fell and did not know where she was when they awoke. They are believed to be the last ones to have seen her alive.
Her death was ruled accidental by Maui authorities, who said her injuries were consistent with a fall and found no evidence of foul play.
Brennan said he spoke to Sadler May 25, when she told him her intention was not to annoy or harass the family in any way. "She (was) there to try to deal with the grief on her own," he recalled.
The next day, Sadler was caught on the cemetery's closed-circuit camera leaving flowers at the site.
Sadler, who went to police headquarters yesterday, where she was informed of the charge, did not return a phone message left at her home or comment.
The Crossan family also did not return a phone call yesterday.
Police and Maui liquor control officials still are trying to determine how Crossan obtained alcohol. The legal drinking age in Hawai'i is 21.
Her parents, Charles and Diane Crossan, have hired Maui attorney James Krueger to investigate.
