Alcohol suspected in death of 14-year-old Bellingham girl
»Play Video
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- Investigators believe alcohol was a cause in the death of a 14-year-old Bellingham girl.
Police believe Hazel Christine Phair had been drinking at a party Friday night. She came home at 2 a.m. Saturday and went to bed. Her mother went to check on her at 6 a.m. and found her unresponsive. Medics could not revive her.
The autopsy suggests she could not breathe because she had consumed too much alcohol, said medical examiner Gary Goldfogel. Toxicology tests are pending, but traces of marijuana were found in the girl's system.
"It's tragic there is a 14-year-old drinking and smoking marijuana," said Bellingham Police Lt. Rick Sucee.
In the wake of her death, the teen's parents are overwhelmed with grief.
"I'm going to miss her. She was my baby," said father Robert Phair.
Phair was a student at Whatcom Middle School where her classmates learned of the tragedy on Monday.
"It was really sad," said student Samantha Longley. "Hard for me to get through classes, thinking that she was gone. And when the teachers announced it, I was kind of crying."
Investigators are now working to find out where the party took place and who supplied the drugs and alcohol to the teen.
"If we find out that alcohol and drugs contributed to death, the person who furnished it could be charged," Sucee said.
Police believe Hazel Christine Phair had been drinking at a party Friday night. She came home at 2 a.m. Saturday and went to bed. Her mother went to check on her at 6 a.m. and found her unresponsive. Medics could not revive her.
The autopsy suggests she could not breathe because she had consumed too much alcohol, said medical examiner Gary Goldfogel. Toxicology tests are pending, but traces of marijuana were found in the girl's system.
"It's tragic there is a 14-year-old drinking and smoking marijuana," said Bellingham Police Lt. Rick Sucee.
In the wake of her death, the teen's parents are overwhelmed with grief.
"I'm going to miss her. She was my baby," said father Robert Phair.
Phair was a student at Whatcom Middle School where her classmates learned of the tragedy on Monday.
"It was really sad," said student Samantha Longley. "Hard for me to get through classes, thinking that she was gone. And when the teachers announced it, I was kind of crying."
Investigators are now working to find out where the party took place and who supplied the drugs and alcohol to the teen.
"If we find out that alcohol and drugs contributed to death, the person who furnished it could be charged," Sucee said.
Wow...this is so sad! You have to wonder where the parents were and why they didn't notice her missing. Her alcohol education was fatal, unfortunately. A young life snuffed out too soon...
Â
I learned about alcohol in a safe, controlled environment - my parents started by buying me a 4 pack of wine coolers on my 16th birthday. They also gave me the warning that if I so much as set a pinkie toe outside of the house without one of them accompanying me that I would be severely grounded until I was 900 years old.From then on, I might have had half a glass of wine every once in a very great while, or a glass with a bit of champagne and lots of orange juice on New Year's Eve, but my parents knew about every single drop of alcohol I had as they were the ones that offered it on exceedingly rare occasion.
Â
I'm grateful that they took the initiative to teach me responsible alcohol consumption, and have to wonder if the same education would have saved Hazel's life.
Â
Ive been like .40 a few times and it dosent surprise me that it might kill you. Especially a young girl with no tolerance for alcohol.
It could be any number of things, was she actually at a party? did anyone see here there? the parents could have been out themselves long before she left to go anywhere, if she did go anywhere, perhaps she was home all the time and it's the parents who were out and may not have returned to the home until way after 2 am, possibly just going to bed themselves without checking on her, and if it's fact what I've read from some of the other posts, about CPS and so on, then there is much more to this tragic story than they are telling us, it is best to wait to see if the police can sort this out and see if more information can tell us what really happened to this young lady, no matter how you look at it, this a very unsettling story.
It looks like this is a tribal case.
 @agatha Was it on a tribal reservation?
How did the parents know that she didnt come home until 2:00 a.m.?  If she was that drunk, I would of been afraid to leave her sight until I knew she was okay.Â
I wonder why CPS moved the other two children to their grandparents home?
My daughter 12 wanted to go to the mall Sat without adults with a group of same age kids. Â I told her a parent has to be around. Â I told her NO way was I dropping her off at the Mall at 12 with a bunch of kids unsupervised. I needed an adults name and phone number who would be there. She said none of her friendâs parents are making their kids have supervision. Â Â I told her get used to me being up in your business, because I love you too much to have it any other way!
Â
I am VERY sorry for their loss. And I know that kids do sneak past the rules some times, but yet somehow it seems to me that if these girlsâ parents had spent some time with her that evening before bed they should have smelled alcohol on her!! Tragic!!!
 @SchönLicht Her parents probably said the same things when they read these stories about other kids. It's great you love your daughter and have firm rules in place, but these horrific things can still happen with kids that age.Â
Â
Questioning these peoples' parenting skills might make you feel better about yourself and assure you it won't happen to your own kids, but that's exactly how it does happen.
Â
Just hug your own and tell them you love them every time you or they leave the house, do the best you can to raise them right and hope you don't ever have to be the one whose parenting skills are questioned by random people on the Internet at the worst moment of your entire life.Â
And even after that there is no gaurantee that it still will not happen. As a parent we need to arm our children with the best of good intentions and ultimately they need to choose right or wrong. It's just human nature. I think all parents start out with good intentions and life's little blow by blows can make it miserable. Some just need more help than others and through not asking for help or having none avaialble I think this is where children slip through the cracks. I think at some point we are all questioned by our parenting abiblities because not everyone sees eye to eye on child rearing. Long gone is the village to help raise the young.
I spent many nights keeping watch over my daughter, and she STILL managed to get away from me at least twice. Thankfully, she never got into too much trouble, but the point is, don't be so quick to judge these parents. For God's sake...they just lost their child. Why not show a little compassion? They now have their entire lives to beat themselves up, and suffer horrible guilt. They sure as HELL don't need the public making it even worse.
 @pixie64 Oh... I get it. No one is allowed to voice their opinion (even when unfavorable to you) and in the event young life is lost... the parents are exempt from being evaluated. Got it. No one on here is saying substantially that teens are monitored all day every day and without failures. You and others who are chastising posts being critical of the parent(s) indirectly condones and absolves parents from having responsibility. Too common in today's society. BTW- sorry for your loss. Oh... and go ahead and tell me the CPS is overreacting by removing the other two children. http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/10/01/2712310/police-investigating-death-of.html Read some of the comments where there are folks that knew the family.
Â
Kids are starting to try to be adults at such tender ages. It is so sad. I played with Barbies until I was 13 and it was so hard for me to give them up. I cannot imagine my 14-year-old self drinking and smoking pot. I feel for the parents, but...damn...how do you not know who your kid is hanging out with?Â
@SouthofSeattle she was my cousin. and i was with her alot when we were like 11. but the way we were it was hard to not grow up fast. The people we hung out with.. everything about our lives.
Not pointing fingers, but there is one thing that bothers me here, if no one talked to the girl when she got home, or saw her or heard her come in, and was not checked on until 6 in the morning, then how do they know it was 2 in the morning that she got home?
My thoughts exactly.
If my daughter came home drunk at 2 am, she sure as heck wouldn't spend the rest of the night sleeping...
Wow, I have read so much judgement, and holier than thou statements from parents who believe they're kids don't go behind their backs doing the very things they're not to be doing. Teens lie, sneak out, twist truths, and more all the time!! Â
Yes, there are horrible parents for sure. But you have no clue about this family or this child!!! All of the blaming the mom and putting her down is not going to help...ever!!! You can only cause more pain by these kind of words.Â
Â
 @lovinTruth I am with you. Many of the commenters are probably not parents to begin with and/or they completely erased all memories about their own teenage years. What happened with compassion? Are people so obsessed with their own screwed up lives that they have to come down on a defenseless mother who just lost her daughter? Does it make them feel better? Thanks for being different.
she was my friend :'( r.i.p hazel...
 @osomegee I'm really sorry for the loss of your friend osomegee.Â
 @osomegee Im so sorry for the loss of your friend, Im sure she was a great girl... the more you kids stand up against the drinking and/or drugs the better you all will feel... do it for Hazel :) Im hoping you kids can and will "make a difference!" For your own life and the lives of other children... I worked with M.A.D.D (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) I know children that have lost there lives because of alcohol and drugs, including my own daughter. It is very sad to have to deal with this as young as you are, its still even hard for me at my age. All your life you have situations to deal with that will come up, its how we deal with life's situations that make us the people we are... Become the best you can be, try to stay positive no matter how hard life can get, always be present to make your life happen for the better... always learn an teach others to love an respect yourself an others. I wish the best for all you kids! Be good to yourself xo
Why the eff is a 14 year old girl coming home at 2:00 in the freaking morning?!?!
@Tattooed_Angel She partied hard
its all the more reason to put double trouble on our kids THESE days. RIP growing up faster then ever
 @maggie112 I raised my kids, now I'm raising my 16 year old grandson, and let me tell you it is much harder today then when my boys were his age, maybe because I'm older, and can't run as fast, but all I had to do was give them the look, they learned to take that look seriously, it must have worked, nobody went to prison for any reason, today with my grandson, the look doesn't work with him, but I still have the longest arms in the west.
My heart goes out to the parents and friends of this young girl.
Â
To those commenting:
Some teens do lie, sneak out in the middle of the night, party and/or drink. Some, not all. Those that do, their parents often won't find out until the first time they get caught. This includes parents who teach their children respect, responsibility, and what not. Keep in mind, parents aren't the only influences in these kid's lives, they also have friends and celebrity role models.
Â
These parents may have had no clue she left the house and that doesn't make them terrible or neglectful parents.
Â
Â
They should have known because according to you "Some teens do lie, sneak out in the middle of the night, party and/or drink" and "parents aren't the only influences in these kid's lives, they also have friends and celebrity role models." That is why you are a parent. You should know what is going on in your house.
 @Freattle Parents aren't perfect, they are human. Even if they know everything that is going on in their house, they don't know everything that is going on with their children. You can meet their friends, their friend's parents, monitor their computer usage and phone, but at some point these kids are unmonitored by parents.
Looks like she had a FB page. I won't link it though, due to its content.
 @WashingtonNative12 It might be a good thing for parents to check these social sites like "Facebook" that their kids frequent to see what they are up to, the privacy issue is moot, Facebook is open, like it or not I do check my grandsons page on FB, and I was kinda shocked to see somethings I was not aware of, he didn't like it, but guess what? it was either straighten this out or lose the use of your computer, internet and go no where except to school and home, no hanging out, going to movies, no nothing, it worked and I still check.
@MC @WashingtonNative12 kids also use an alias on FB all the time. Their parents see the "real one". My child did this and I found out about the other. needless to say, consequences were handed down.    People who think their kids "would never do such a thing" or "i'm monitoring every second" are in denial. If you hold them too close, they'll rebel. Parenting is about finding a balance. It's not easy. You have to love them enough to have them hate you once in a while......
Parent first, friend second.
@MC I have to admit it is good to see I am not the only parent to use the "act like a jerk you get treated like a jerk" routine. LOL
My son is nearly 9 so we're not "quite" at this extreme with the online presence yet, but he has been pushing it with the attitude and how he treats me recently. Every so often he'll try to mouth off or I'll catch him being truly nasty with his little sister when he feels no one is around to hear him. He doesn't like the results, he truly doesn't!
  @newsreader Don't get me wrong here, I do believe kids need space and privacy to a certain point, trust is earned, the more he shows me he can be trusted, the less I have to look at everything he does, I love my grandson with all my heart, but we all have to live by rules, and he's no exception, he may not like them, but it is for his health and safety these rules are in place.
 @newsreader Another thing I found out is these webcams can be very damaging, he has one and that will go also, I don't have time to play catch-up with him, if he acts like a jerk, he will get treated like one, plain and simple, we have been over this enough times, so there are no more excuses for him to use, does that sound harsh? well, he is growing up and I'm going down hill, so I have to keep my edge, otherwise I failed in trying to raise him right.
 @newsreader Thats true, however I know who his pals are and a lot of them use their real identity, he can't hide from me, and he knows it, he has tried to have me blocked on one occasion, but I'm still one step ahead of him, the fact is he has been told you either act like a gentleman, do what's right, don't hide from me or you lose everything, including his computer to get on FB, I want to believe we have an understanding, he knows exactly where I stand, and if he wants to lose everything, X-boxes, Ipads, Psp's, everything he lives for then I can make that happen, so far so good.
 @WashingtonNative12 Yep, I saw it also, makes you wonder..
 @WashingtonNative12 Speaks volumes of the over sight.Â
For all you kids on here... Make a difference! Be the ones who protest drinking and drugs. You know, all these tragic events happen, yet nothing changes, or it even gets worse. I challenge the young, smart kids of this generation to take a stand against alcohol, drugs, and partying. No matter how much adults try to punish or keep their kids away from this kind of stuff, it's not goin to stop them. The kids have to make the change. It's on them to keep these things from happening. In fact, what kind of FRIENDS let their 14 year old friend drink so much? Good grief.Â
 @BrennanHartnell24 some kids families dont teach the kids whats good for them, kids are under a lot of pressure, to have a social life, to be liked, have friends... I always say it takes a village to raise children these days, even when my kids were young I would let the other kids know they need to do the right thing, whats best for them. "Self-esteem" is one major problem when it comes to using drugs or alcohol... teach people to love an respect themselves an others, that everyone deserves to live a happy life! Since I was a child I have had alcohol an drugs in my life, it has caused me and my loved ones nothing but a painful life... I have not used either since 1991 and until the day I take my last breath I will be teaching my children / family that life is 100+ % better without having any of it in my life! I learned this growing up an had to make a change for my own life... I know this pressure, to be a part of... I also had low self-esteem but had to learn to love myself also. The kids need to know and understand how they are putting themselves and friends lives at risks when it comes to using alcohol or drugs, I hope the kids can learn how they can make a BIG DIFFERENCE, if you want something to change, change yourself... any change will make a difference...Â
 @Katherine Bowe Lance Very good, peer pressure is a major influence on kids,  some kids can be very cruel, and what kid doesn't want to fit in?
WHYYYY? Was she coming home at 2 a.m.?! Really? I don't like to point fingers when parents are grieving, but at 14 I had a curfew, and it sure wasn't 2 a.m.! Not even midnight!
 @ladylib1 You have no business judging and comparing the girl's parents, especially to your own. It's easy to point the finger, but the kids and their friends need to take responsibility for their actions. At 14, you are old enough to know right and wrong, and to know consequences.Â
This is just another case of kids who know better, making stupid decisions. The sad part of it is, probably 75% of the kids that age are making stupid decisions. You learn about alcohol, drugs, sex, and the works in Middle School, and now that I think about it, 5th grade. You are taught to deal with peer pressure and make the right decisions. These teenagers that get themselves killed are making their families look like scum, when really they could be fantastic parents. Kids need to start taking responsibility.Â
Hazel passing away is so very sad... <3 I have sympathy an empathy for the family, I wish others could be more compassionate on here!!! people in our would could be more accountable to be respectful, the parents have lost their child! Im so sorry for the actions of others on here...
Everyone please be aware of the comments you make. Us middle schoolers that knew Hazel are on here trying to get a better picture of how our friend died. You dont know the details of that night and you didnt know Hazel. Her death has already hit alot of us and its been hard. We dont need rude comments from people who think they know what happend.
@News2496199 If you DO know what happened, or know someone else who does, Â it might help the Bellingham Police to hear the information so Hazel's parents can get some closure on this tragedy