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America's child, John F. Kennedy Jr., dies in plane crash
"John was a shining light in all our lives, and in the lives of the nation and the world that first came to know him as a little boy." -- U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (CNN) -- The news seemed inconceivable, and yet somehow dreadfully familiar: A small private plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. and carrying his wife and sister-in-law was missing off the coast of Massachusetts. As search and rescue efforts began, the nation was kept updated -- and some critics said titillated -- by the days of endless bulletins speculating on whether the 38-year-old son of the late president was still alive. While the crisis played itself out in the media, many took time to remember the boy a nation watched salute the casket of his assassinated father in 1963 and then grow up to inherit the bittersweet Kennedy legacy. Within days it became apparent that Kennedy, his wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren had not survived the crash. The search for survivors turned into a recovery operation. The widespread public outpouring of grief surprised many. An impromptu altar of flowers and other mementos emerged in front of the downtown New York apartment building where Kennedy and Bessette had lived. Many also wondered anew whether the Kennedy family was somehow under a curse that had just claimed another trio of victims.
Unwanted publicity followed JFK Jr., even in death. After the bodies were recovered, the Kennedy family pleaded that no photos be taken of the autopsy, fearing the pictures might eventually be exploited. Following cremation, the ashes of the three victims were scattered at sea, not far from where they died. The ceremony was held aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer at the request of JFK Jr.'s uncle, Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
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