Family says 13-year-old Indiana boy who died by suicide suffered 'relentless bullying' at school

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COVINGTON — An Indiana family and community are mourning the loss of a 13-year-old who died by suicide due to bullying.

Terry Badger III died last week after he endured bullying at his middle school, according to his parents.

Badger III’s dream was to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, his family told ABC News in an interview this week.

That dream was in it’s early stages of coming true as he hit “dingers” and ran the bases on the diamonds in Covington.

The Covington Girls Softball League shared a little recently about Badger III on Facebook.

“No words can express the grief his entire family is having to endure. Terry’s family is a HUGE part of our baseball and softball families. They have spent countless hours playing, coaching and watching ball at our fields. Terry III loved to hit “dingers.” His smile and charisma were one of a kind.”

Terry suffered relentless bullying at Covington Middle School, his parents told ABC News.

Badger III’s father, Terry Badger II, told ABC News he met with school employees twice about what his son endured.

In a statement, Brady Scott, superintendent of the Covington Community School Corporation, said the district "is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of fellow Trojan Terry Badger" and announced an investigation into the claims that Terry was bullied.

Now, the school district is hiring outside investigators to probe the allegations.

"The gravity of this tragic event compels us to move forward immediately with an investigation from a neutral party outside our district. We pledge to be as transparent with the results as the law will allow," Scott said.

A statement released by Joshua Whittington, the Fountain County coroner, classified the death as a suicide.

On Saturday, the community held an event in honor of Badger III.

Over the weekend, multiple college baseball programs honored Badger's life.