Warning: This article deals with suicide and contains details – included by family request – that may be disturbing to some readers.
Laurenta and Randall Colombe say their daughter Marietta Star was an easygoing, loving child.
“She was very kind and obedient,” says the girl’s mom. “She listened. I always considered her my little helper.”
“It didn’t take much to make her happy,” says her dad.
That is, until recently. The Colombes say their 11-year-old started sleeping more, didn’t want to shower or take care of herself and tried to avoid school.
They say she was being bullied.
“It’s just stupid how society is. The way you’re supposed to look or how you’re supposed to act,” says the girl’s father, her mother adding that she was picked on for her hair and clothes.
Randall Colombe says he went to the north-end elementary school Marietta attended.
“I (said) my daughter doesn’t like being picked on and being bullied, what are you guys going to do about this?” he says. “Nothing was ever done.”
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On Feb. 4, he was finishing at work while his wife took their eldest of seven kids to get a cake for his 18th birthday.
Marietta was left home with siblings and seemed excited there would be cake later.
Laurenta and her eldest returned home two hours later to the unimaginable.
Marietta was found in a room in the basement with a rope around her neck tied to a joist.
“Her face was cold and I just gently laid her down and I started CPR,” says her mom. Paramedics couldn’t save the girl.
Winnipeg police found a crumpled note in Marietta’s pillowcase and the family has since found drawings depicting the girl’s torment at school.
“That’s pressure, a lot of pressure for a little 11-year-old,” says her grandmother, Freda Moose. “My baby’s gone. It’s so heartless — it’s cruel. Bullying is cruel to death.”
The family is sharing their grief in hopes that schools and parents will do more to stop bullying.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we’re going through,” Laurenta says. Marietta was the middle of seven children, each now grappling with their sister’s death.
The Winnipeg School Division has conflict resolution and mediation protocols in schools but did not say if those were followed in this matter.
The division told Global News this is a “heartbreaking loss” and intensive clinical services have been provided for staff and students at the school.
Anti-bullying advocates say there’s more to be done.
“We have to continue to have the conversation with kids,” says Carolyn Tuckwell, an anti-bullying advocate with the Boys and Girls Club.
“Help kids understand that really how we interact with each other can have such a positive influence in the world, or it can have a completely negative influence in the world.”
Something the Colombes know too well.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Crisis Helpline.
Start charging parents of the bullies for m*rder and suing schools for not doing anything to combat these things. Parents, raise your kids right
Absolutely horrible and heartbreaking. I am sorry for your terrible tragic loss.
I hope this family goes after the school for not being accountable in helping to resolve this bullying and go after those parents of those horrible bullies for causing this poor traumatized child for resorting to taking her own life. So sad. This SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!!!
Carney will send them a cheque
I am so sorry for the death of this child. I find most schools do nothing and the bullying continues. My granddaughter who is 7 was told by another little girl to go kill herself.
How about each school start a volunteer group that actually visit the school have school assembly and talk about bullying. Too many parents are loosing their children to suicide.
Send bullies home!!!! Not allowed on school grounds anymore!!!! Bullies should be labeled a danger to children!!!! After all, they are!!! Will any of the bullies get any kind of punishment for contributing to this crime??? They should!!! Charge them as adults too!!! They knew what they were doing and in this day and time they also knew the causes of effects from bullying. They actively CHOSE to be mean!!! IF A CHILD CAN MAKE LIFE ALTERING DECISIONS ( gender ) THEN WHY CANT THEY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR BEHAVIOUR??? Schools are supposed to be a safe place!!! Make it that way!!!
Much love to the family of this sweet child 🙏❤️
My condolences for that 🙏 family. How utterly awful things haven’t changed in decades. Those bullies know who they are as well as the so called adults in charge. Cruelty and malice in torturing another fellow human being into doing this is more then shameful. 🤔 🤨 Just think bullies should you have done to you, or yours what you did to another’s family’s member and the hardships and pain it brings. Good leadership and skills would certainly bring better control on bulliism in children, not only now but as they mature into young adults. Decide who’s..in charge????
I cannot imagine a Winnipeg school board addressing racist, Winnipeg is the most racist city in Canada. I spent one year there and couldn’t believe how openly racist it was there. Rest peacefully sweet girl.
11 years old angel…ELEVEN YEARS OLD !!!
Try to comprehend that tragedy…our children committing suicides !!!
What on earth is going on?!?!
I’m crying with you Melissa’s family…I’m so very sorry…
I hope that those who bullied Melissa won’t have a peace of mind as long as they live…same goes for their parents who raised MONSTERS !!!
I would be interested to know if the girl was on psychiatric medication. Antidepressants and antipsychotics are known to cause suicidal ideation.
Very easy to blame others for your failures as parents
This is so heartbreaking
To many kids are doing this over bullying. Time the law charge kids who are bullying and parent face jail time
The government only care if your harassing refugees or immigrant
As a immigrant the government should focus on all bullying not just one culture
So heartbreaking and discouraging what society has become. Some parents absolutely disgust me. I blame them, not the kids. They try harder to be their kids friend rather than disciplinary example.
Schools are pretty much useless when it comes to bullying. They talk a good talk, but when the person being bullied retaliates they are the ones in trouble.
This is heartbreaking. My condolences to her family. Shame on the school for not doing anything to stop the bullying.
All kids found guilty of bullying should be banned from public or private education and left for the parents or juvenile detention to educate them.
Prayers and Condolences go out to her family. She was definitely robbed of a fulfilling life and future. Someone needs to be held responsible for that!
I don’t understand why we never hear from the bullies…. Why do they remain protected when they drove someone to their grace over their behavior… stuff like that need to be addressed why? So the the Bully is held accountable and the situation resonates in their mind knowing what they did.
My deepest sympathy to Marietta Star’s parents, six siblings, and extended family. I hope, that ‘all of your family’ receive professional help to deal with this ‘complicated grief;’ you will likely bear (unfair social criticism). My family bore a similar tragedy (my 15yr. old cousin) for not fitting in at school. A few of his associates knew he was ‘deeply troubled’ but did not tell anyone. Adolescents often confide in their school associates, but, have not developed the maturity to know how to handle the situation. My cousin did not confide his emotions and intent, with any of his family. His parents did not know; nor suspect. However, they dealt with it, on their own; no professional help. Unfortunately, they never got over it. It almost ruined the life of his only sibling, a younger sister, who dealt with the pain; in a very negative way (drugs). She eventually, after receiving professional therapy; became a wonderful woman, wife, and mother.
I hope and pray for all of you, in this time of sorrow. Please try and remember, the joy and love, Marietta, ‘shared’ with all of you. Amen.
Disgusting how there is no accountability from the mother, being poor and hwving seven kids, obviously neglecting the middle child or potentially all of them. Pathetic that you can blame this on everyone else.
SUE THE D@MN SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!
All this help for the kids that bullied her and the adults that didn’t act to protect this young lady. That doesn’t seem fair. May she rest in peace.
If a bully is bullying your children ,go to to the bullies perants ,and tell them in no uncertain terms that if the bullying doesn’t stop ,you will be back ,to see them ,and you will stop it yourself one way or the other ,confront the bullying even if its a kid ,you don’t have to put your hands on him or her but tell them in a stern voice. If the bullying doesn’t stop.you will take action
I would hunt down the parents of the bullies because its payback time and it ain’t gonna be pretty. But besides that, there is clearly more to the story and also if the schools are held responsible for these tragedies it will never end.
Why oh why, are the schools never held accountable?
They always both sides the issue.
Shame shame on the school principal for not taking action against the bullies.
School bullies should be publicly named & embarrassed, their parents too for not disciplining them, maybe it would save a delicate child’s life. You’d think this would be understood in 2026.
My heart bleeds for the family.
Wow,, I’m so sorry for your family. I’m at a loss for words. Godspeed. Greg in Vancouver
I curious how the 11 year old managed to string up a rope and tie a suitable not to hang herself. Where did she learn this?
Who is responsible for providing a safe and encompassing learning environment at our schools? Its not the educators because I can tell you the educators are doing nothing but turning there backs on the bullying that goes on in the schools. I say this from both personal experience in the system and what my sons is currently experiencing. Bullied by the same kids going on 3 years now. We did engage with the educators and it only made things worse. He was labeled a “tattle tail” and has since been bullied even more and isolated. More needs to be done to make the educators accountable, they are compensated very well for what they do and parents deserve better in one of the most funded schools systems in the world. Parents should be able to evaluate the educators and have those evaluations tied directly to any potential wage increases. Something needs to be done before more violence happens in our schools.
My daughter was bullied i was scared so scared of what might happen im lucky to have had the resources to stop it. My prayers are with you all, bullying is not executable no matter what. People are cruel we need to take care of each other. Biggest hugs to the family and friends who never bullied her ❤️
Both my kids were bullied through their elementary school years and the methodology was to “ walk away” from the bully. It was agonizing….. switching schools, quitting our lowest paying job to home school, and sacrificing life’s little extras so one of us could ensure our children’s success.
It worked out for us, but the cost was huge.
Not sure what we would have done if the situation became helpless?
School philosophy seems unable to change.
I believe there is more to this story than being told. My kids were bullied in school because of their color & who they are but we made it through. So what is really going on here?
This is the same reporter that used Crystal Semaganis’s claims that singer ISKWE was a pretendian without fact checking that she is in fact an MMF citizen causing her to face online bullying, slander, and libel. At the time she worked for APTN and when people complained, Melissa started working for Global. The pattern of failing to fact check continues at Global. This is a breach of ethics in journalism and I call Global to take action before more people who are subjected to bullying take their lives. The media, in particular, Global should not participate in harming Indigenous people.
Very sad. What sadder is that? Melissa Ridgen was given the job of reporting this story. It lacks compassion for what this family is going through. I guess If it’s not calling out a pretendian it just doesn’t matter.
This is the same reporter that supports this sort of behaviour among adults. Melissa Ridge is a Crystal Semaganis aka Christine Cameron aka Michelle Cameron supporter who has been wrong several times when calling out what she considers pretendians. Crystal is currently being sued for $500,000 for defamation. This sort of bully behaviour then trickles down in our youth.
I’m not sure if the school did nothing due to her being Indigenous? The school she went to has ALOT of Indigenous children. Schools are overwhelmed with unruly children and their hands are tied in many areas. But , that being said…they have NO excuse for not addressing her Father’s concerns ASAP…NO excuse at all. They should be held accountable yes!!!
This is terrible. My heart goes out to her parents and family. 🙏🏼 So young
The parents need to sue the school and the families of the bullies. The school knew this child was being bullied but chose to ignore it b/c the child was indigenous and of no consequence to society. Everyone should be outraged. This is unacceptable