Prosecutors in Mass. plan to call up to 50 witnesses against 3 teens in bullying-suicide case

Teens in Mass. bullying case appear in court

HADLEY, Mass. — Massachusetts prosecutors say they plan to call up to 50 witnesses in their case against three girls accused of bullying a classmate so relentlessly that she committed suicide.

The teenagers appeared with their attorneys on Thursday in Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court. They are charged with bullying Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old South Hadley High School student who hanged herself in January.

The girls were each 16 when they were charged as youthful offenders with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. Two of them are also charged with stalking. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say some of their witnesses are now in college. No trial date has been set.

Three other teens are also charged.