A 13-year-old boy in Alstead, New Hampshire, died by suicide on March 12, 2026, just eight days after his birthday, after enduring what his family described as relentless bullying at school and on the bus.
Josiah Michael Dwinell jumped off a bridge over a river, according to his aunt Shaena Lyon, who also goes by Shaena Stebbins on social media. The boy never learned how to swim and jumped into freezing cold water, she said.
Josiah’s mother, Amber, passed away unexpectedly in 2021. Her cause of death remains unclear, though she changed her Facebook profile picture to an emblem for overdose awareness in 2020. Following his mother’s death, Josiah was taken in and later adopted by his grandmother, whom family members refer to as “Mimi.”
The boy had five siblings, though it remains unclear whether they were placed together after their mother’s death.
Stebbins detailed the struggles Josiah faced in the weeks and months before his death. She said he was being bullied at school and on the bus, with no one outside his home attempting to intervene or help him.
“He was being bullied at school and on the bus not one person outside his home tried to help him,” Stebbins wrote in a Facebook comment. She added that his grandmother was fighting alongside him to address the bullying.
Josiah was hospitalized numerous times, according to his aunt, as his grandmother sat by his side trying to get him the help he was seeking. Despite these efforts, Stebbins said his mental health was overlooked and he was told he was seeking attention.
The teenager decided after a bus ride home that he could no longer handle the bullying, his aunt said.
Following Josiah’s death, Stebbins launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and medical bills. The fundraiser initially set a goal of $6,500 but has since raised more than $23,000.
“He was an amazing brother, son, nephew, and all-around young man who meant so much to everyone who knew him. Josiah brought light and joy to our lives, and his absence leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled,” Stebbins wrote on the GoFundMe page.
In the wake of the tragedy, many of Josiah’s family members changed their social media profile pictures to a teal and purple suicide awareness ribbon.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or contemplating suicide, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988, or by visiting 988lifeline.org. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide free and confidential support.