Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Principal Who Hypnotized The School’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Curious Case of…,’ the primary focus is on the mysterious and tragic deaths of 3 teenagers studying at North Port High School in Florida in 2011 — Marcus Freeman, Wesley McKinley, and Brittany Palumbo. When the detectives investigated the cases, they connected them to an unlikely suspect and illegal hypnosis sessions at their school. The documentary features exclusive interviews with the parents and loved ones of the deceased teenagers, providing an in-depth account of the entire case.
The Deaths of Marcus Freeman, Wesley McKinley, and Brittany Palumbo Were Allegedly Connected
Born on October 23, 1994, Marcus A. Freeman was the beloved son of Paul and Dana Freeman and a brother to Nicholas and Jessica. The North Port High School student was popular amongst his peers as he was not only a star football player but also a basketball player. At the time, the 16-year-old was dating Carley O’Boyle, with whom he went to a dental appointment on March 15, 2011. When the two were driving back from the clinic after 1 pm, he reportedly lost control of the car on Interstate 75 near the Toledo Blade exit and the vehicle crashed into the trees on the side of the road.
The authorities pronounced Marcus dead about 15 minutes after the accident. Meanwhile, his girlfriend managed to recover from her injuries at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. In the following month, on April 8, another North Port High School student named Wesley Tyler McKinley tragically passed away. He was born on July 27, 1994, to Charles and Margaret McKinley, who raised him alongside his older brother, Blake Jacobson. Before relocating to North Port and enrolling at North Port High School, Wesley went to St. Patrick’s Catholic School and Bishop Kenny High School. Besides excelling at academics, he was also a talented singer and self-taught guitarist. Unfortunately, he took his own life on the fateful day of April 8, after returning home from school.
Another tragedy struck on May 4, 2011, when 17-year-old Brittany Nicole Palumbo also died of suicide. Born on July 14, 1993, to Michael and Patricia Myles Palumbo, Brittany was a bright student at North Port High School. The sister of Ryan was also a member of the Interact Club, Student government, Mu Alpha Theta, and the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. The three untimely deaths of teenagers from the same school ignited an investigation from the authorities, who thought that the three incidents could be connected.
George Kenney Was Linked to the Three Deaths
Upon digging deep into the lives of three deceased teenagers, the detectives found one common denominator — Dr. George F. Kenney, the Principal of North Port High School. Serving as the Principal since 1999, George had also been working as a teacher and administrator. As per reports, after learning hypnosis techniques from DVDs and a five-day training session at the Hypnosis Training Center in DeLand, Florida, in late 2009, he began performing hypnosis on students, parents, and faculty members at the school, allegedly for therapeutic purposes or for improving their athletic and academic performances.
What connected him to the deaths of Marcus Freeman, Wesley McKinley, and Brittany Palumbo is the fact that each of them underwent hypnosis sessions with George in the days or weeks prior to meeting their demise. As for Marcus, he was learning self-hypnosis from George for pain management and was reportedly hypnotized five days before the fatal accident. According to his surviving girlfriend, he went into a trance while driving, which led to the car crash. Wesley reportedly underwent three hypnosis sessions with the Principal, including one day prior to his suicide. Meanwhile, Brittany had been going through a tough time after a breakup. She, too, underwent at least one session of hypnosis with George in October 2010.
It is alleged that not long before her suicide, she was hypnotized by the Principal again without her parents’ knowledge. While the detectives were investigating the case, George was placed on administrative leave. In June 2011, George admitted that he defied previous orders to limit his hypnosis practice to psychology classes and with parental permission. However, he denied having hypnosis sessions with Brittany and Marcus. During the interview, he said that he felt apologetic about “putting his school and his students through something that they didn’t need or deserve to have to endure on top of all the tragedy they already have experienced.”
George Kenney Has Relocated to North Carolina After the Ordeal
In January 2012, George Kenney was charged with two misdemeanor counts of unlicensed practice of hypnosis. The following month, he entered a no-contest plea, which meant that instead of admitting guilt, he acknowledged that the prosecution had enough evidence against him for the trial. After the hearing, George stated, “I’m relieved it’s over, and my family and I can move on.” The prosecution didn’t pursue the case further, believing it was a fair deal because he had no criminal history. As a result, he was placed on one year of probation, during which he was ordered not to practice unlicensed hypnosis. After applying for retirement in December 2011, the Principal officially resigned in June 2012.
By 2013, George also reportedly gave up his teaching license. Although the families of the three deceased students were not satisfied with the trial, they received $200,000 each from the Sarasota County School District in a settlement agreement in October 2015. Not long after his resignation from the North Port High School, he moved to Waynesville, North Carolina, where he became the owner of the Cedar House Bed and Breakfast. Not much is known about his current whereabouts as he prefers to lead a private life, away from the limelight.
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