No decision has been made whether there will be further investigation into a case involving a "people to kill" computer file allegedly created by a Hebron High School freshman.

The file was apparently discovered by two freshmen girls and reported to Hebron school officials March 29. Parents of some Hebron High School students pulled their children from school until they were assured the school was safe.

The list apparently included the freshman class and students in upper classes, though none by name.

The Morton County Sheriff's Department, along with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, looked into the matter and concluded it's not possible to determine who created the file.

Meanwhile, the 15-year-old student whose computer password the file was found under remains out of school and is being tutored from home.

Hebron High School Superintendent George Ding said the State Administrative Hearing Office could hear the case, possibly leading to a resolution. However, Ding said whether such a hearing will be held is being discussed between attorneys for the school and the student.

Ding said he couldn't say whether the school board or administration recommended a hearing. "That's part of the investigation," Ding said.

Morton County Chief Deputy Duane Snider said it was not possible for a BCI computer expert to determine who wrote the "people to kill" list because students could log in under other students' names and gain access to their files.

He said the two freshmen girls who reported the file admitted to police that they had altered it by writing, "We know who you are, come and get us," and then later deleted the "taunt."

Snider also said the Hebron school's computer system lacked file summaries that, if properly set, can identify who wrote the file.

A third factor that made it difficult to pin the file on the boy in question was information that the boy had been working on a specific computer when the file was created March 10.

In fact, the boy was working on a computer that day, but not on the computer where the file originated, Snider said.

The sheriff's department came under some criticism in its handling of the case, because a department employee is engaged to the boy's mother.

Snider said he told the officers to do their job and either charge, or vindicate the boy, based on what they learned. Snider said the boy denies having created the file, but doesn't know who might have written it under his password.

"If someone wanted to set him up, that could be easily done with that system out there," Snider said. The school has since tightened up its password system.

Ding couldn't comment on whether the school's computer policy that forbids students from using another student's password had been violated. He said the first time a student uses another student's password, the student loses computer lab privileges for a week.

The boy's mother, Michelle Bryant, 35, of Glen Ullin, said she believes her son when he says he didn't create the file.

"He said he didn't do it. I believe him," she said.

Her son told the Tribune that he wants to take a lie detector test, but the sheriff's department and school district haven't agreed to do that.

He said he gets along with everyone at school except one person, but they just stay away from each other and there isn't a problem.

He said he doesn't think there's anyone at the school who's out to get him and thinks it was just a sick joke that got out of hand.

He said he doesn't even use the computer lab much at school - he does his reports at home. There's only one class period where he's in the computer lab.

"But we're not on it very often," he said.

The day the list was created, March 10, he was in the computer lab but not at 4:48 p.m. when the list was created, he said.

He said it's not a typical practice for students to get into other students' directories. He has done that on occasion when he's working on a school project with a partner.

But in his directory now are files he never created, such as a file that has a picture of his head on a girl's body and her head on his.

His mother said the computer indicates the switched head and body file was created on March 23 when her son was in South Dakota on a family trip.

Bryant said the only reason her son transferred to Hebron last year from Glen Ullin was because her other two children were transferring. She said one of her daughters was being harassed at Glen Ullin, to the point that she became physically ill.

Reports of bullying at Glen Ullin High School surfaced last month, when a girl fled school and totaled her car because of name calling by other students.