Fighting Back: Part 5b

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Mother Thinks Drugs May Have Played Role In Murder-Suicide

Shannon Harter, 18, had an active social life that often included drinking
alcohol and taking illegal drugs such as ecstasy.

The Picayune teen was the victim of a murder-suicide on Aug. 27, 2001.

Although authorities have declined to release details on the circumstances
surrounding Shannon's death, her mother is convinced that she died because
of drugs and alcohol.

"She often shared things with me even though she knew I wouldn't approve of
them," said her mother, Melissa Adams. "I gave her all the lectures that
parents who really care give their children. But maybe I didn't warn her
enough."

Kids who experiment with drugs and alcohol often don't realize the dangers,
said Gary Hargrove, Harrison County coroner.

"The drugs available today on the streets are so dangerous that, alone or
mixed with other substances, they can kill you. Anyone who fools with drugs
without a doctor's advice will end up seeing me sooner or later," Hargrove
said.

Hargrove sees an average of two or three deaths a week involving drug
overdoses, and frequent deaths from traffic accidents involving drugs or
alcohol.

Shannon Harter had moved to South Mississippi against her will after her
parents divorced. She had once been active in church and in band, but she
developed behavior problems that her mother tried to overcome by putting
her in counselling.

The attractive teen-ager enjoyed drinking with friends and at clubs, and
she had told her mother that she had taken ecstasy several times with her
boyfriend. Adams said that Shannon also loved glow sticks, which often are
considered toys for drug-users because of the visual effects while under
the influence of hallucinogenic drugs.

Adams tried "the tough love approach," but she ran out of time. Shannon was
missing for two days when her 21-year-old boyfriend killed himself with a
shotgun while driving on Mississippi 53 in Harrison County. Hours later,
authorities found Shannon's body hidden in the septic tank behind his
parents' home in Hancock County.

Adams has moved to Buford, Ga., where Shannon is buried, to get away from
the stress. But she warns teen-agers to be careful of the choices they make
and to remain open to advice from their parents.

"It won't hurt you to talk to someone," said Adams, "but it can kill you if
you don't."