FATAL DRUG SOURCE SOUGHT

EAST HAMPTON -- Investigators worked Thursday to determine who supplied a
high school sophomore with the popular party drug Ecstasy hours before she
suffered a seizure that led to her death.

Meanwhile, the community prepares to shift its grief tonight to the Spencer
Funeral Home for calling hours for Makayla Korpinen from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Her funeral is Saturday in Portland.

The popular 16-year-old died Tuesday from complications four days after
apparently ingesting Ecstasy at a house party.

Police Chief Matthew Reimondo said authorities "have some leads." He
declined to elaborate.

He said police are waiting for results of toxicology tests from the state
medical examiner's office in Farmington. A hospital pathology exam listed
her cause of death as "complication of intoxication, substance unknown."

Police have begun interviewing people with information about the case,
among them the mother of Makayla's boyfriend, whose family the girl lived
with in town the last weeks of her life.

Cynthia Singer, 42, through her attorney David Moore, declined comment
Thursday beyond a prepared statement. Korpinen was dating Singer's son,
Joseph Nedobity.

"Both Mrs. Singer and I are very sorry for Makayla's passing," Moore said,
reading a prepared statement. "But to comment further at this point in time
might be a problem for the police investigation."

Nedobity, 18, is scheduled to appear Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court to
face charges stemming from his arrest along with three other men last June
after policed reported seizing nearly a pound a marijuana and a quantity of
hallucinogenic drugs.

Along with two 10-milliliter vials of the drug ketamine, known as "special
K," police said they seized two tablets of MDMA, more commonly known as
Ecstasy.

At the time, Nedobity, 18, was charged with possession of marijuana and
possession of drug paraphernalia.

Joseph Nedobity's older brother, Jason Nedobity, 23, has at least one prior
drug conviction for sale of a controlled substance and marijuana
possession, according to court records.

At the high school Thursday, Korpinen's classmates and teachers tried to
get back to their normal routines.

Principal Linda Berry said students used their free periods and lunch to
sign tribute posters adorning the school walls. Some emotionally
overwhelmed students were offered counseling or quiet time.

"We are more sensitive to how students are behaving on a day-to-day basis,"
Berry said.

She said student absenteeism Thursday was not out of the ordinary.

"The students who have been most deeply affected have been out for the
week," Berry said.

The high school mailed letters to the homes of every student, outlining the
school's measures for helping students cope with the tragedy. The notice
also instructed parents about the visible and not-so-visible signs of
grieving and offered suggestions to help their youngsters cope.

Teachers were also offered access to grief counseling, but many were
relying on each other for support, Berry said.

A sign-up sheet is circulating for students who need transportation to
Korpinen's funeral Saturday at 11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Portland,
Berry said. Students have until the end of the school day todayto sign up.

Based on the number, she said the school system would provide one or more
buses to transport them roundtrip from the high school.

The police chief said the department is bracing for a large turnout for
tonight's calling hours. At least one officer will be at the funeral home
to control traffic, he said.

Wednesday afternoon, someone spray-painted the town's skateboard park with
memorial graffiti. Nearly all the graffiti had been removed by late
Thursday, officials said.

Korpinen's death and the property defacing have "heightened our awareness,"
the police chief said. Police are also stepping up their face-to-face
contacts with teens and patrolling public parks and remote hideaways where
youths congregate.

"We're trying to talk to the kids," Reimondo said, "and tell them to make
better decisions."