Friends mourn stabbing victim
As published on page one of the July 27, 2011 edition of The Keene Sentinel, and online.
The stabbing death of a Keene High School student has triggered a time of public mourning by the victim's friends in Keene, raising some eyebrows among downtown residents and property owners.
Craig Metivier, 17, who was stabbed and killed on Dunbar Street downtown Sunday night, was a beloved member of his extensive circle of friends, according to the steady stream of people visiting the site of his death and sitting vigil on Central Square on Tuesday.
"A lot of kids are taking this really hard," said Monadnock Regional High School student Ashley Champney, 17, during a brief visit to Dunbar Street with a group of friends.
Ethan A. Wilson, 19, a friend of Metivier's, faces a charge of second-degree murder in connection with his death.
On Central Square, the words "R.I.P. Craig" were spray-painted on the concrete path in front of the bandstand and people have gathered there day and night since Metivier's death.
Police have responded to complaints about spray painting and loud music, but there have been no arrests at either location since Sunday's murder, according to Keene police Sgt. Christopher L. Simonds.
"Anybody has the right to mourn, and there's a million ways that people mourn, and Central Square is a public place," Simonds said. "Now, where there's a crime, like (violating) noise ordinances, disorderly conduct like spray painting -- that's when the police get involved."
On Dunbar Street, about 15 feet of curb in front of the HKS Associates building was covered in melted wax and candle remains Tuesday, with a green wreath and small orange teddy bear resting in the middle of the stretch.
The entrance to the real estate office is off the parking lot away from the street, but the side door and windows of the office are only a few feet from the site of Metivier's death. The building's owner has contacted police to complain of the memorial activity, according to Keene police logs.
Representatives of HKS Associates declined comment.
Again, police distinguish between public and private space, Simonds said. The sidewalk belongs to the city and mourners have a right to gather there, while the owners of the private property have a right to remove trespassers and unwanted memorials, he said.
Almost every surface of the plywood ramps at the Keene Skate Park on Gilbo Avenue bears scrawled, spray-painted messages of "R.I.P. Craig" or "R.I.P. Waddles," Metivier's nickname.
The mourning goes on in the virtual world, too. Almost 800 people have joined a Facebook community dedicated to Metivier, where they post photos and memories of the slain teen.
According to Facebook posts, a petition is circulating to ask the city for permission to create a permanent piece of graffiti art at the skate park in Metivier's memory. Organizers aim to collect 500 signatures before presenting their request.
tagged with: Craig Metivier, vandalism
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