About
Murdered just six days before her eighteenth birthday at the Vancouver, Washington McDonald's where she worked, this Russian-born young woman was posthumously honored with numerous MySpace and YouTube tributes. Her employer also raised $85,000 for her family.
Before Fame
At the time that she was stabbed by convicted sex offender and schizophrenic David Barton Sullivan, she was a Senior at Fort Vancouver High School. She was planning to attend college and was saving money by working several part-time jobs.
Trivia
The United Kingdom's The Guardian compared the degree of internet grief expressed over her death to that experienced following the death of Princess Diana.
Family Life
Born in Novoorenburg, Russia, she moved to the United States as an infant. Following her parents' divorce, she moved with her mother and her three siblings from California to Washington.
Associated With
Tragically, she and Kansas-born teenager Kelsey Smith both became murder victims (in 2006 and 2007, respectively).
