When police arrived minutes later, they found Catsouras’ body still strapped to the driver’s seat. Her head, however, was crushed. The wreckage and scene were so brutal that the coroner wouldn’t let Catsouras’ parents identify her body. Photographs of Nikki Catsouras’ death had somehow found their way onto the internet, and they spread quickly. MySpace pages seemingly made as a tribute to Catsouras instead posted the photos of her horrifying accident.
Nicole “Nikki” Catsouras was born on March 4, 1988 in Orange County, California. At 18, she was a college freshman living at home with her parents. She was shy and creative, studying photography and working with children in special education. When Nikki was eight years old, doctors discovered a tumor in her brain that they initially didn’t think she would survive. Although the tumor ended up being benign, the intensive radiation treatment Nikki underwent had lasting effects on the young girl. Doctors warned her parents, Christos and Lesli, that side effects might one day surface, possibly impacting Nikki’s impulse control and judgment.
