The Mysterious Death of Meghan Runkle
Posted at 8:52 AM Nov 21, 2008
News report about Meghan Runkle's murder.
Early in the morning on November 21, 2008, the javascript countdown on Meghan Runkle's MySpace profile said it had been 7 days, 8 hours since her birthday. Meghan would have turned 18 on November 14.
By then, Meghan had been dead for a week or more.
Meghan Runkle was discovered in the Jennings State Forest in a ditch near a bike path. Her nude body lay in shallow water.
Police confirmed Meghan's identity on November 12. They are treating her death as a homicide.
For Meghan's family, it was tragedy on tragedy -- her younger brother Jonathan Hackett had died under medical care on November 2 in the Childrens Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.
There's no doubt that Meghan Runkle was having a rough time in Florida. She had lived in California until at least 2007 and was living with friends in Florida when she died, but it wasn't clear as to whether she'd even finished high school or not. Her stepmom, Rebecca Jageacks, told Florida media that Meghan had encountered some "hardships" while living in Jacksonville, and that her stepdaughter had "wanted to get back in contact with her family." Jageacks said that Meghan "wanted to get a car, she wanted to get a job and put herself through school. She had so many choices that she wanted to do."
Meghan identified with fans of Insane Clown Posse. In addition to her MySpace page, she had profiles and at least one blog on Xanga.com. There she wrote, "umm... im a juggalette..." (juggalos are male fans of ICP, juggalettes the female fans) and posted original poems. One piece, posted on January 7, 2007, seemed to be about cutting:
"...I Promised Her I Would Not Leave
We Kissed And Then She Started To Bleed
As I Began To Cry
I Just Remembered I Didn't Say Goodbye
Forgive Me Please, I Cannot Stay
Though I Have Since That Day
'Too Much Pain I Cannot Bear'
She Said Crying, Then 'Will They Really Care?'
So As I Lay Here Crying And Bleeding
I Can Almost Hear You, Silently Screaming."
Meghan also had a personal profile on MyJuggaloSpace.com. There she wrote that her "religion" was "The Fellowship of Juggalos" and her occupation was "mass murderer."
I should stop right here and say that a lot of people misinterpret the Insane Clown Posse thing. (And it should be said, ICP followers can get very defensive about ICP being associated with anything like a newsworthy crime.)
It is easy for the judgmental and narrow-minded to look for ways to blame this group or its music -- ICP are essentially a hip-hop group and perform what Wikipedia refers to as horrorcore -- for Meghan Runkle's mysterious fate, but that would be missing the point. ICP are artists who have maintained a tight focus on a core audience and reaped substantial rewards from doing so. For the majority of ICP fans, the music is an outlet. It's like a pressure valve, releasing steam when the internal temperature gets too hot to bear. The guys who created the Insane Clown Posse personas are not really mass murderers and the kids who like them are not part of some evil satanic cult. Too few journalists and bloggers ignore this sort of caveat, and it is unfair (and tabloid) to the larger number of ICP fans who never do anything violent or criminal to do so.
The best reason to acknowledge Meghan Runkle's devotion to ICP as evidenced by her online presence is the insight it may give into the murdered girl and where she was in her life when she died. Was she running with other self-identified juggalos and juggalettes? Was there a predator in the group? That's a worthwhile question, because as anyone involved in any group on the "fringes" of society can tell you, psychopaths are drawn into exotic lifestyles along with good people who just refuse to lead ordinary lives. Another example of what I'm talking about might be the bdsm-fetish community: most people into bondage and dominance, most fetishists are not predatory killers. However, predators are easily drawn into those lifestyles, because they perceive easy pickings there.
Before she died, Meghan was apparently trying to re-connect with her family. She was a vulnerable point in life, and if you read much of her poetry [another example here], you can see she was inherently vulnerable, anyway.
If Meghan was indeed murdered as police believe, then someone picked her off, just as a wolf might single out the slow or sick sheep in the herd.
Meghan Runkle had other online profiles here and here. Another example of a poem apparently written by Meghan: The Attic Site Poetry page.
If you think you have information that might help investigators find out what really happened to Meghan Runkle, contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
[Hat-tip to my friends at DreaminDemon.com. See also: FirstCoastNews.com. See also: further reading from Phoenix New Times about ICP and juggalos.]
Comments
I was reading through some of her entries and she seemed depressed and obsessed with romanticized thoughts of suicide. I was feeling sorry for her, until I read her Wish List. I had skipped over it previously, and it's pretty revealing about her priorities in life:
Alcohol
Bong
Bud
Chocolate
Cigarettes
iPod
Money
New Pipe
Life is a lot more challenging when you waste your time drunk and high.
Posted 11/21/2008 at 04:47:56 PMLife is over when you are murdered..RIP Meghan, sorry that you had really lousy parents.
Posted 11/22/2008 at 02:16:39 PMI don't know Cricket Connoly... you don't KNOW that.. maybe she was just a runaway, and they grew tired of trying to make her stay places that she refused to. I wouldn't write the parents off completely without more information.
Sometimes, good parents have bad children. It's sad but true.
RIP Meghan
Posted 11/23/2008 at 06:13:13 AMThe news report didn't even mention that she was murdered. She was stabbed to death and they just conveniently made it seem like some mysterious death by unknown causes??? The article alludes to that, but you'd think they'd have a bit more detail.
And yes, she was a very vulnerable person (she talked about death and sadness regularly; I knew her and her friends from school), but I doubt the lifestyle itself was a main factor. There are predators that move in every kind of circle. Where they choose is just a matter of taste, I guess.
They also neglected to mention that she was a party shortly before she went missing and she was most likely drugged (whether by choice or force, I have no idea). Apparently they're questioning people who were there, so if you're reading this and you saw her that night, please contact police. Anything may help catch this bastard.
And by the way, miss_kitteh, she had emotional problems and obviously liked drugs, but that in no way entitles someone to strip you naked and stab you to death. Her priorities were way out of whack, but I'm sure most people's are. That's a pretty callous way to look at a murder victim.
I hope people remember her for more than just that.
R.I.P. Meghan
Posted 11/24/2008 at 03:58:19 AMUh Lisa I do know that..I am related to one of her close friends.
Posted 11/24/2008 at 09:33:38 PMok people lets get a few things straight please im her uncle and god father so before this nes paper starts printing reports please have ure info right becky jajacks was not her step mom ok and for the commont of not counting the parents out u should know where the parents where when it happened so please evry one thank u for ure thoughts and prayes but please get all the facts write before u start guessing and writing things ty all very much
Posted 12/06/2008 at 12:45:03 AMMeghan was a great person,
Posted 12/08/2008 at 01:55:12 PMand for people who are just talking about her
and saying things that you dont know for facts should just stop.
i was a close friend of hers from Cali.
and her priorities werent exactly the best.
but when it came down to it.
she was a great person, somebody who i could always count on to be there.
and the same to others.
she dressed in dark clothes.
but her personality was the brightest of all.
i love her dearly..
and i hope they find the stupid bastard who killed her.
robert hackett i am so very sorry for your lose i was one of meghans closest friends alley. im going to be helping her aunt gracie get the memorial situated in palm desert california. i am making a slide show with pics and music if you would like a copy you can give me a call at 1-760-333-3848.
and cricket you don't know her i was her closest friend she loved her parents you don't know what kind of crap she went through yes her dad was jerk but he got what he deserved and he is now in jail but she loved her mom and her mom loved her but meghan went to about three foster care areas and one was in paris so ya you dont know her i even talked to her aunt yesterday her step father abused her her mom couldn't fully take care of her so don't say crap about her parents she was raised quite well and don't make it sound like being depressed and cutting thing isn't a natural thing at that age even i wrote suicide poetry and cut. so it doesn't matter if your related to one of her friends or whatever you didn't know jack-crap about her.
Posted 12/08/2008 at 01:58:02 PMi knew meghan, we went to school together. she was wonderful but she liked to be on the wild side. i used to look up to her when i was young, and still do. my friend jay is really sad about what happened and hopes they find who did this to her. idk if its her bf cuz thats what people say but i doubt it because they loved eachother and a crime of passion whould be quick and sloppy. i dont blame her fam. its a bad world we live in with alot of sick people in it. its not the music, its the world. my love goes to her in heaven.
fly free now because you didnt get the chance to in life.
Posted 12/08/2008 at 07:03:58 PMMeghan, my "Jew Cookie", my luff. You brought countless smiles to my face when I met you in Paiz's class. I remember how we used to draw obscene things on your pants and such. It's such a tragedy upon what happened to you. I can't wait to see you again. We'll watch Twister and eat popcorn once more. xoxo I miss you.
Posted 12/11/2008 at 09:49:37 PMOh MY God...I can't belive she's gone...
Posted 12/31/2008 at 02:06:20 PMI Love ya Meghan.