Her parents, both educators, divorced in 2006 and shared custody of Lauren."... Tomo is a well-known guitarist and a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston."You know, Lauren became, pretty much, a member of the family," George Mattingly, Nathaniel's uncle, told Smith. Said Chloe, "Lauren would say, like, 'Nate's so cute. it was just not the same kid.""In the last couple years of high school, it was amazing how close we were, it was a tangible bond," said Genevieve.she was always laughing and moving and doing something," said Dunne."She was very strong in soccer," Astley said, "then -- tennis, even though she was small.""She was tiny ... But Lauren had a big personality."She did have a lot of personality and she was incredibly honest," said friend Hannah Blahut."She was a really good friend. He was so, like, cute and fun last night.' And she'd -""-- or," Hannah interrupted, "'He was so boring, he was on his phone the whole time, I'm so annoyed, I'm over it.'""They started getting so chronically into fights," Dunne explained."And then it would be -- back together, broken up, back together, broken up."And then in the spring of senior year, on her 18th birthday, Lauren broke it off with Nathaniel for good."I think with what was the final breakup she felt some relief, life was somehow opening up along with college," said Astley. Nathaniel had been recruited to play football at Trinity College in Connecticut -- a childhood dream come true."I said, 'Well, man, you're -- you're going to Trinity to play football, aren't you excited? To celebrate their high school graduation, Lauren, Hannah and Chloe threw a big party.He hugged them after jurors announced his conviction, acknowledging that they, too, had lost a child.

she just has a lovely voice and it was just growing stronger and stronger," said Astley. She was a big part of Nathaniel's life.""Good choice for him," Smith remarked."I thought so," Mattingly said. She was great.""And I think for the first two years, it was pretty fine," said Dunne."They were both very attractive," Chloe said. they seemed like the ideal couple."But their three-year relationship was a rollercoaster ride.

Friends Genevieve Flynn and Chloe Jacques were paralyzed with fear."...

Astley had done what no father should ever have to do: identify the body of his first and only child.

According to a nationwide survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, approximately one in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

And according to a study done by the Department of Justice, girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate-partner violence -- almost triple the national average.