The suicide death of a 16-year-old North Andover High School student has left the town stunned and confused.

Colby Kenney, a junior on track to graduate in 2013, killed himself in his family home late during the night or early Tuesday morning on Oct. 24 or 25, according to reports from police and the local school department.

"This news has deeply saddened everyone in our schools, and particularly at the high school," said Superintendent Christopher Hottel.

Word spread through the community via Facebook and You Tube videos, many by teens who say they did not know Kenney but were moved by posts by others indicating the teen was a victim of bullying.
His foster father, Ronald Nickerson, confirmed to the Citizen on Wednesday that Kenney took his own life. He declined to comment on the bullying reports.

But North Andover police Chief Paul Gallagher and Hottel said no evidence of bullying has been found.

"These rumors have no basis whatsoever," Hottel said. "The student was well known to administrators and teachers and no reports of any bullying have surfaced."

Gallagher released this statement on Wednesday afternoon:
"The North Andover Police working with the Massachusetts State Police, assigned to District Attorney Blodgett's office, have been conducting the investigation of the unattended death of a junior at North Andover High School.
"The internet social media has postings of bullying as a possible factor in the investigation. At this stage we have found no correlation.

"Interviews have been conducted by our School Resource Officers and school staff which included students and caretakers. No intimidation or bullying has been suggested."
Hottel said students were notified on Tuesday and additional guidance counselors from the middle and elementary schools were on hand at the high school to handle students' needs to talk and grieve.

"Our students are handling the situation as well as can be expected and have appreciated and availed themselves of the grief counseling that is being made available," Hottel said. "In this time of sadness, I am asking all of our school community to join in sending our condolences to the family and to respect the process of healing that will now need to take place."

Kenney's foster father said the teen had lived with his family for three years, arriving in November 2008.

Nickerson is a longtime foster parent and social worker who founded the charity Suitcases4Kids in reaction to the hurt and frustration of foster children who arrived at his home with their belongings in trash bags.
According to posts on the Suitcases4Kids facebook page, Kenney was very much involved in the drives that collected thousands of suitcases for donation to the state Department of Child and Youth Services for use by foster children.

Visit wickedlocal.com/northandover for updates on this story as they become available.