In 1984, California's Miramonte High School cheerleader and all-around popular teen, Kirsten Costas, was murdered by her classmate Bernadette Protti, who was not only jealous of Kirsten's high-profile life but bitter and resentful that she took did not get picked for cheerleading or the yearbook committee. How so? So was PC, DM, LP and Kirsten. So bullies need to die. Karen, keep repeating the same Comment over and 3 decades later thats ridiculous. Who could have stabbed popular, beautiful cheerleader Stacy to death? On April 1, the first hot day of spring, while kids throughout Orinda were signing up for Meadow Pools summer swim team, Bernadette Protti was sentenced. And so I find myself wondering what we have accomplished here. So yes Kirstens friends still get together at times, but they dont discuss Bernadette or the death of Kirsten, as a matter of fact,( they dont want it brought up at all). WOW MIRANDA, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE A TRIGGER TOO. Plenty of facts support that view. No in the documentary where the new wave girl was actually interviewed, she ACTUALLY said I want you dead and to see your blood drip Her own words in the interview on true crime via Amazon Prime she said those EXACT words. It sounds like something Berns BFF called Kirsten, that or Virginia Protti, it is someone close to Bern. She looked like Kirsten with her curly hair, and the Life of the Party like Kirsten. You know whats really sad? Other people have called saying they have feelings about people who might be the suspect. Now that you know, have fun looking around! Kirsten was nice, yeah, she and a few she didnt like, but they were the kids no one liked. Bernadette lived in a bigger house than Kirsten, and family had just as much money as the Costas family, if not more. The movie really leaned toward Bernadette being seen by Kirsten and others as less of a person. There is no point in making stuff up. Very few that arent. The things that got me mad was it hurt and I couldnt change like looks or money or popularity or things," Protti added later on. She did have the cutest clothes of all time and knew it. I heard on here Joanna was bullied bad, so were quite a few others. So she could never uplift Bernadette at all. Especially someone who not only blames the murder victim for her brutal murder, but also blames her innocent parents? She can serve no less than one year and no more than nine until she reaches the age of twenty-five. Bernadette then said she wanted to go home and think, and Hilley agreed. For example, she had issues with her body and considered herself unattractive and undesirable. Bernadette Protti is believed to have changed her name, gotten married (causing her last name to change again), and became a nurse and medical journal author in suburban Dallas (Grapevine TX). She only had certain friends. Pre-meditation seems sensible between the clothes and the knife. Kirsten was in the class of 1986, So there actually is no first degree evidence that is solid and beyond a reasonable doubt. Not true, analyzes yourself if they were snobs to you, probably embarrassed yourself by trying to hard to be accepted, or you were a troublemaker and a bully yourself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I honestly thought Bernadette wouldve looked worse. Thats teens for you, its tough being a teen, most of them are smart alecky at some time or another, but we outgrow it. If you did your research, you would know that Kirsten didnt bully Bernadette. She was not in a popular group, just a group. That part of LPs life is over with I guess. She was the (In crowd) Bernadette was desiring to be the incrowd. Your lack of self awareness is both amusing and perplexing. I heard also Kirsten was just Self Absorbed to, but not a Bully. A few left our school, one who went out with a lot of football players getting wasted, she was demonized badly also. You are right, (Kirsten didnt really bully Bernadette) around a friend she would throw ice at Bernadette, and tease her to show off in front of thier friend, (but girls will be girls). Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. She would of never Confessed but FBI got involved, and were closing in on her. She picked up Kirsten for dinner as promised, using her parent's car. She and her BFF were both Odd. People can get really nasty at this school, says one junior, standing with a group of classmates on the lawn surrounding Miramonte. I cant picture Kirsten being Mean or Rude, so hard to picture that one. It sounds like she was only mean one time about her having cheap ski boots. Not when she robbed a girl in the Spring of her life, and robbed her of a Family, graduating from High School, and Marrying a nice man, and whatever she planned to become in the future, Bernadette took it all from her. Kirsten was Snooty as well, so were the Stacys and the other Kirstens that ran with them. His team had put in 4,000 man-hours, followed 1,000 leads, interviewed 800 people, and checked out 750 Pintos, the sheriff told the press, as he and other investigators stood for photographers and reporters. Now the new version of the movie was making Bernadette innocent, when Kirsten was innocent herself. Still no one deserves to die. As for Nancy Kane she was the best in that group cause she was real, and they couldnt deal with that. Movie portrayed Kirsten as a Snotty girl, when really she was just down to Earth and Vivacious and fun Loving. Bernadette was sentenced to nine years (maximum) for second-degree murder on April 1, 1985. Move on. If you liked this article, please share it! She was friendly and outgoing. People who need to put others down to feel validated are the ones with the mental problems and theres no excuse for that type of behavior the ppl saying that this girl or any girl is ugly they need to get checked maybe they are the real lesbians lol. Kellie Martin played the role masterfully. I have never seen Kirsten insult anyone, (I knew her), she was friendly towards everybody, Berns BFF May say it differently, cause Bernadette just took things way to Serious, and like I said she took things way to Personal to where it became Personal. Unfortunately, no one was home as nobody answered the call. Hostile people do. I was informed Kirsten was highly popularand a Cheerleader and cheerful, even if she was a bully no right for her to be savagely Murdered. San Francisco Examiner newspaper headline from June 25, 1984. Not saying she was an Angel, Im sure she said something to hurt Someones feelings, who hasnt! Whoever wrote this article is not being honest. I love Kirsten think about her all the time. You cant try a 15yr old as an adult now. Apart from her socioeconomic conditions, Bernadette also had severe body issues, wherein she thought herself to be unattractive and undesirable. Like Missy Availa a girl said Missy was the meanest girl she ever met, and her worst bully ever. Cause Kirsten was friends with most people who were (popular) and Bernadette wanted to be included in that so badly.. You obviously are very contradicting since from gathering what the Hollywood movie has told you if Kirsten was truly a witch, then, Bernadette was a bigger idiot since she wanted to befriend such a person to begin with. She has a right to Privacy. Bernadettes own parents turned her in. The script for the movie was written by Randall Sullivan who wrote the one-sided scathingly critical Death of a Cheerleader article for Rolling Stone, which the movie was based on. You need to educate yourself before speaking on things you have no clue about. She dared to say she could not commit suicide because her religion would not allow it, but did not take into consideration the life of Kirstens! i remember always thinking that Bs case would had been much different today. If it hadnt have been for Bernadettes confession, this case probably would remain unsolved. I just think Bernadette had underlying issues and pressure on her to get to the top, but that was no right for murder. On the other hand, Bernadette informed her parents that she had a babysitting job that day. Rupaul What preppy teenaged girl doesnt think shes better than the next? On December 11, nearly every girl attending Miramonte, even those with the flu, showed up. Several Miramonte folks from the class of 1986 complained it was rough and if you werent accepted you were ran off and out of there. I live minutes from Columbine Highschool and you have absolutely no clue. So she is a Horrible girl. Killing her just because you were jealous? Kirsten didnt like (stupidity). first of all, the judge had to be stupid to find it second degree murder and it doesnt matter if she didnt plan to kill kirsten. She lured Kirsten out of her house under false pretences to the non existent sorority dinner and then drove Kirsten to an empty car-park at night. Thanks for visiting and for supporting a small business! Well based on the movie, Kristen came off as a total snob and bully. She didnt bully Bernadette either. Bernadette then appears to have confessed her feelings of admiration for Kirsten in the empty car-park at night. She was convicted in 1985 and sentenced to nine years, on a charge of second-degree murder. Kirsten didnt like some of those people cause they rubbed her the wrong way and acted Stupid around her, she definately wasnt down with Stupidity. Who can walk a straight line and never say one un kind word ever, w all make mistakes, and most teen girls do get Caddy at times thats just Normal, but we outgrow it. Whoever remotely tries to justify that must not have children. As I wrote to you in a previous comment, if anyone was pushed to the brink, it was Kirsten, but instead of reacting violently like Bernadette did, she ran from Bernadettes car. So RuPaul,Kelly and Sarah, you all need to get facts before you say Kirsten got what she deserved. Feeling bad for Bernadette bc was a pathetic, weak, emotionally unstable girl, fragile or whatever doesnt change the fact that shes also a murderer. Bernadette was a Snob also. Missy was Described as a Bully and Very Mean also. Both girls attended Miramonte High School in Orinda, California. She stuck to her story initially, but when Hilley described the psychological profile of the suspect in the case which showed, among other things, that the killer would have little remorse for her crime, Bernadette said, It sounds like me.. She hugged people all the time was a ( social butterfly). I was called ugly, to my face by a group of senior boys on my first day. She did to, and Bernadette had fun with us as well. That didnt happen that way. And, they realized, the problem didnt lie only with Bernadette. Can you give examples of Kirsten bullying Bernadette? I am shocked to even read that some people think this 15 year old girl deserved to die because she could be a little snobby at school, I personally would prefer my children to be friends at school with a snobby girl than a cold blooded killer! Understanding her background would likely provide more insight into the unfortunate event. Get yourself checked out! Bernadette Im telling you was well liked and a good Student got good grades and was in with popular kids, cause she was smart. Dee I dont agree with you, so Kirsten and them had you on a project assignment and they didnt include you in the circle, you ever thought maybe you gave signals you dont belong, or why didnt you ask them to allow you, people cant read minds.