ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) – The Glynn County Police Department (GCPD) is investigating what occurred at a St. Simons Island party this past week after a 19-year-old landed in the emergency room with high levels of intoxication.
Tuesday will mark a week since 19-year-old Trent Lehrkamp was dropped off by three people he called friends at a Brunswick hospital. The teenager was so intoxicated he was only taking six breaths per minute.
A Glynn County Police incident report, picked up by the WSAV Investigative Unit on Monday, says Trent’s blood alcohol level was .464. According to Georgia law, that is more than five times above what law enforcement considers impaired.
The teenager was covered in spray paint and urine, the report says. The three teens who dropped Trent off left their names on a piece of paper and left in a white jeep.
Trent’s father, Mark Lehrkamp, told Glynn County Police officers about two other attacks on his son, including one just a week prior, when Mark said Trent came home covered in WD-40, vomit, glue, egg yolk, and paint.
The father said his son was in the emergency room a week before that to get stitches.
While the report redacted the teenagers’ names, it makes clear that all three are related to the same group, which Trent considered his “only friends.”
The WSAV Investigative Unit has learned at least one of the attacks on Trent Lehrkamp happened at the St. Simons Island home owned by James and Lauren Strother. The family owns a hardware store near the island’s pier. On Monday, when Lead Investigative Reporter Brett Buffington called that store, the person on the phone quickly said, “no comment,” before hanging up.
In the police incident report, Trent’s father repeatedly talked about his son going to someone’s home, telling police, “he never returns home normal.” Mark Lehrkamp told the officers he had ping his son’s phone showing Trent’s location at that home and had taken pictures and videos of Trent’s condition after he returned.
In the quiet island neighborhood where Trent Lehrkamp lives, his next-door neighbor Anne Dekle is furious.
During an interview with WSAV on Monday, she questioned how anyone who heard what happened to Trent could call it hazing.
“Attempted murder, at least torture. He was unconscious, and these barbarians that did this to him dropped him off at the ER. At least they did that,” Anne Dekle said.
She mentioned that Trent Lehrkamp showed signs of autism, though unsure if Trent had ever been diagnosed. Anne told stories going back to Trent in middle school when he would knock on her door for fundraisers.
“He would always give a hug,” Dekle said, adding, “he would always stop and speak.”
Glynn County Police have yet to charge anyone in Trent Lehrkamp’s case, now facing questions from people across the country who have heard what happened.
Devin Rafus, a legal expert for WSAV’s Investigative Unit, says it would be difficult to police to bring hazing charges in Trent’s case.
“It sounds like he was taken advantage of. It doesn’t sound like to me that this was necessarily a hazing case,” Rafus said, adding that the teenagers involved could likely be charged as adults mentioning the aggravating factor with all of the things the group is accused of doing to someone who considered them his only friend.
Meanwhile, Glynn County Schools released a statement saying the district is “aware of the allegations of an off-campus incident that involved several of our former and current students.”
The statement continued, in part: “We understand the significant community concern and interest in this situation, and will continue to work diligently to provide an atmosphere where students feel safe, comfortable and ready to learn.”
View the complete statement from District Attorney Kieth Higgin’s Office.
Interim Chief O’Neal Jackson encourages anyone with more information on the incident to come forward or contact the Glynn County Police Department. Police say those with information may also call Silent Witness at 912-264-1333 or email them at 911silentwitness@glynncounty-ga.gov.
As Lehrkamp’s story continues to receive national attention, a GoFundMe set up on his behalf has raised over $50,000.
View the incident report below.