METRO VANCOUVER - The RCMP confirmed Friday that a full investigation has been launched into the circumstances that led to Amanda Todd's death.

The B.C. Coroners Service, meanwhile, has confirmed that a preliminary investigation into the death of the 15-year-old shows she took her own life.

However, coroner Barb McLintock said Friday that the case will be long and complex. Investigators know how she died, but will not release that information.

"We have an extra responsibility when it's a child's death," she said, adding that once the coroner's report is complete, the case will go through a provincially mandated child death review that will look at factors including mental health, friends, harassment and cyber-bullying.

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Todd was found dead in a Port Coquitlam home on Wednesday, five weeks after she posted a heartbreaking video on YouTube detailing how she was harassed online and bullied.

McLintock said after the review is complete there may be recommendations made on a range of issues, including cyber-bullying, though she noted that it would take time given how complicated it can be to deal with the Internet.

The RCMP said a full investigation has been launched into Amanda's death.

"Serious crime teams in Coquitlam and Ridge Meadows are working together, conducting interviews and reviewing any potential contributing factors to her death," said RCMP spokesman Sgt. Peter Thiessen, in a news release Friday.

He said investigators are monitoring social media, and that Coquitlam Detachment's victim services are speaking with the teen's family.

"This is a devastating tragedy, which impacts the community as a whole. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of this young person," he said.

Bullying ranks second, behind substance abuse, for youth issues identified as concerns for the RCMP, he added.

Police are asking people with information related to the investigation to share it via email at: AmandaTODDinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

Meanwhile Friday, an outpouring of public support and empathy for Todd's family and friends was posted on social media websites from people around the world.

The news made international headlines and was covered by CNN, Washington Post and the U.K.'s Daily Mail, to name a few. Countless messages of empathy and outrage were trending on Twitter and several Amanda Todd memorial sites were set up on Facebook.

Two memorial pages called RIP Amanda Todd each had more than 4,000 "likes" as of Friday morning.

"She is a beautiful young lady. I am in tears over this," wrote Jennifer Fincher, while many other Facebook users said they hoped she was with angels in heaven.

But not all the chatter was positive. Mike Mace, whose own Facebook page says he is a member of the Canadian Military, faced a flurry of shaming comments after he posted a negative comment mocking her death.

In the comment, he suggests that it's not the bully's fault that she showed her breasts and gave out her private information on the Internet.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," wrote Amber Garofano in response to Mace's comments. Another woman, Ashley Soucy posted, "have a heart."

Offensive photos were also posted on the memorial pages, including one with a person holding a gun to the head, stirred up controversy. One Facebook user called Joseph Lopez posted a picture of Clorox bleach with a caption that read "it's to die for," and in response to the outrage wrote that he was doing it because he thought it was funny.

In September, Amanda posted a video to YouTube entitled My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide and self harm.

In it Amanda does not speak, but instead holds up to the camera pieces of paper on which she has printed her story, one phrase at a time. She documents a painful tale of being harassed through Facebook and shunned at school, leaving her feeling alone and suicidal.

At one point she talks about harming herself and going home and drinking bleach.

Though there was some negativity, most of the comments, however, alluded to how sad people felt after watching her video. Many people identified with bullying and shared their own stories of being abused in school.

The tragedy sparked much discussion online Friday about cyber-bullying and what can be done to eradicate the problem and how to provide support for the victims.

The Vancouver Sun is joining that discussion. The Sun is hosting a day of dialogue on bullying on Facebook on Friday. Visit [url]www.facebook.com/VancouverSun[/url] to join the talk at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/technolo...#ixzz298OBbPVN