Did Firefighter Commit Suicide After Cyber Bullying? Fire Chief to Investigate

PHOTO: Nicole Mittendorff was a firefighter and paramedic for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue for the past three years. Photo courtesy of Find Nicole Facebook page/Fairfax County Fire and Rescue

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FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Did a female firefighter in Fairfax County commit suicide after disparaging remarks were posted about her on a Fairfax County Web forum featuring rumors and gossip?

Last Thursday afternoon, remains found at Shenandoah National Park were preliminarily identified as that of missing firefighter Nicole Mittendorff, 31, of Woodbridge, according to Virginia State Police and the National Park Service. In addition, a note was found in her car, police said. She had worked for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue the past three years, stationed in Fairfax Station.

The remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Manassas for autopsy, examination and positive ID.

Nancy Bull, administrator of the northern Virginia office of the state medical examiner, said Friday that 31-year-old Nicole Mittendorff of Woodbridge killed herself, FOX-5 reported. The office released no other details.

On Saturday, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Bowers addressed online posts attacking Mittendorff on local Web forum Fairfax Underground. Posts on the site discuss Mittendorff's personal life; she was married to Steven Mittendorff, a state trooper who helped in the search for Mittendorff.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is "aware of the posts and are looking into the matter," Fire Chief Bowers said in a statement.

Did cyber-bullying cause Mittendorff to possibly commit suicide?

Bowers said Saturday "we will thoroughly investigate the matter." Here's his entire statement:

"I would like to take a minute to address the local web forum posts that so many of you have been discussing regarding Firefighter-Nicole Mittendorff. We at Fairfax Fire and Rescue are aware of the posts and are looking into the matter. I assure you that my department can not and will not tolerate bullying of any kind. At this time, we are respecting the privacy of Firefighter-Paramedic Mittendorff’s family, and providing support to the men and women of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department who are grieving under these challenging circumstances. We will thoroughly investigate this matter and take any appropriate actions needed. However, right now we ask that we be allowed to grieve the loss of one of our own." – Fire Chief Richard Bowers