15-year-old’s beating death hits friends and family hard

By Cathy Logg and Jennifer Langston

Herald Writers

EVERETT — As detectives continue to investigate the death of an Everett High School student, friends and family mourn his death and prepare for his funeral.

Joshua Alan Lorbiecki, 15, died Sunday after he was severely beaten and abandoned on a football field at Evergreen Middle School Saturday afternoon.

His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at New Life Center Four Square Church, 6830 Highland Drive. Interment at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, 1615 SE Everett Mall Way, will follow the service.

The Arlington native was a sophomore at Everett High School, where he transferred this year after attending schools for the last several years in Mukilteo.

A typical teen who loved sports, he had been a bat boy for the Mariners during a summer vacation and enjoyed being the big brother to two siblings.

His death shocked those who knew him, including some who had seen him shortly before his death after he reportedly went to meet some friends.

News of his death hit hard at both Everett and Kamiak high schools. His friends and family members attended a vigil for him Tuesday night at the school and shared their memories.

Cameron Lorbiecki, 11, loved to go with Josh to his dad’s and play computer games together. He was the kind of older brother who would stick up for you if somebody bullied you at the skating park, Cameron said.

"He was my hero, practically," he said. "The thing I’ll mostly miss is having him around."

Josh’s sister, Krista, 12, said he always helped her. If she needed money for the movies, he’d give it to her. If she had some, she’d give it to him. He liked to do normal teen-age stuff — play sports, listen to music, go to the mall and buy clothes and CDs, she said.

James Jones, an Everett High junior, met Josh this year in math class and the two became friends.

"I would describe him as energetic, always on the go, always smiling, never in a bad mood. He liked to joke. … If it was something fun, he’d do it," he said.

Kat Heidecker first met Josh at Kamiak, then both later transferred to Everett. Josh spent time at her house having dinner or they would walk on the beach and talk "about everything" — their lives, their problems, their hopes, she said.

"Last year he hung out with the wrong crowd, and he did some things he shouldn’t have," she said.

His problems with the wrong crowd resulted in four juvenile court convictions over the last year.

But "he was doing a lot better since he moved here. … He had good grades, and he got out of the stuff he shouldn’t have been doing," Kat said.

Any problems Josh had, he turned into something positive, she said.

Court records indicate that Josh’s grades improved, he had remained out of trouble and had completed an anger management program.

His new start ended abruptly.

"I cried all last night," Kat said. "My mom told me I was crying in my sleep. I have no more tears."

Everett student Lynne Goyette met Josh this year. She loved his brilliant blue eyes and remembered how he was always hungry, constantly trying to cadge change for the pop machine or talk friends out of their last french fry.

"This should have never happened to Josh. He was a good kid."

Jessica Bryan met Josh in English class and found him instantly likable. She couldn’t help but like him, even when he made her furious, she said.

It was difficult to go to school this week and look at his empty chair.

"I expected him to still be there. I expected him to pop up and say, ‘Ha ha.’ "

Investigators are questioning those who knew him and are trying to find two young black males who were seen walking with him shortly before he was found unconscious, and also were seen on the field with him standing over his body.

They fled when they realized they’d been seen, witnesses said.

Detectives ask anyone with information on Josh’s death to call the Everett police tip line at 425-257-8450.

You can call Herald Writer Cathy Logg at 425-339-3437

or send e-mail to logg@heraldnet.com.