Daisy Cole, a 23-year-old White female, died on August 4, 2020, in the Denver, Colorado area. Her death was the final chapter in a life marked by a public and painful struggle that began in her early teenage years.
Years before her death, Daisy was the subject of national attention following a sexual assault she endured at the age of 14 in Maryville, Missouri.
The case, which was featured in the 2016 Netflix documentary "Audrie & Daisy," detailed the assault and the subsequent cyberbullying and harassment she and her family faced from their community. The charges against her alleged attacker were eventually dropped, a development that sparked widespread outrage and highlighted the challenges survivors of sexual assault often face within the justice system. In the years that followed, Daisy became a vocal advocate for sexual assault survivors, co-founding the organization SafeBAE to support and empower others who had experienced similar trauma.
Despite her advocacy and the support she offered to others, Daisy's own battles with the trauma of her past continued. She had made previous suicide attempts in the wake of the assault and the relentless bullying that ensued. In the months leading up to her death, friends reported that she was being stalked and harassed, adding to her distress. On the day of her death, she had expressed fear for her safety. Her mother, concerned for her well-being, asked police to perform a welfare check. Later that day, Daisy took her own life. Law enforcement officials confirmed that her death was a suicide and there were no suspects or arrests made in connection with her passing. Her mother shared that her daughter had never fully recovered from the trauma she had endured.
