True Crime with Rachel Shannon
He Told AI his Dark Secrets... It Ended His Life: How ChatGPT Drove Teen to his TRAGIC Demise
03 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What tragic event is at the center of this episode?
Today we are diving into a story that is both heartbreaking and scary. It's a cautionary tale about the hidden dangers lurking behind technology. On the surface, Adam Rain was a bright, smiling, happy 16-year-old. But behind the closed door within his bedroom, he was struggling, turning to a friend who was always there for him no matter what.
Adam James Rain was a 16-year-old high school student at Tesoro High School in Santa Margarita, California. He was the third of four children born to his parents, Maria and Matt Rain, who worked as a social worker slash therapist and a hotel executive, respectively. Adam was known as always being a joyful kid, full of passion and drive.
He was known as the type of person who would fully throw himself into anything he loved, whether that was basketball, Mai Tai, Japanese anime and comics, or video games. He had the most infectious sense of humor and had earned himself a reputation amongst his friends as a prankster.
He was always that kid that was making funny faces in pictures, cracking jokes in the middle of class, or just offering a witty comment to try and get those around him to laugh. That's all he ever wanted, was to make people laugh. Adam was also known to be fiercely loyal to his friends and family. As he got older into his teenage years, He and his family excitedly talked about his future plans.
Most recently, he was talking about a possible career in the medical field. This idea made his parents so proud of him, they just couldn't wait to see what he would go on to achieve. But of course, even though Adam generally had a very positive outlook on life, was surrounded by friends and family who loved him, he faced his fair share of struggles.
He had always loved basketball, but he was actually kicked off the team his freshman year due to behavioral issues. From there, his grades began to slip and he started having trouble at school. As that was happening, he started having worsening flare-ups of health issues.
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Chapter 2: What struggles did Adam face despite appearing happy?
He had always struggled his whole life with irritable bowel syndrome, but in his teen years, it seemed like the symptoms just got worse and worse. His parents believed that part of his stomach issues were being exacerbated by his anxiety.
He was taking trips to the bathroom so frequently that by late 2024, he actually ended up switching to an online schooling program to finish out his sophomore year at home. This made it much easier for Adam to focus on his schooling without the constant interruptions from having to leave class.
Through all of his struggles, he had the constant support of his friends, siblings, and most of all, his parents. They wanted him to know that he was not alone, and if he needed help, they would always be there no matter what. He was getting help from a therapist and had the backing of his parents, and it seemed that after this transition to homeschool,
By early 2025, his mood started to lighten and he seemed much happier and more engaged. He discovered a newfound love for reading, finishing a novel almost every week. He started going to martial arts classes with a close friend. He also got super into going to the gym and working out, going almost every night with his older brother.
His grades were starting to improve and he was starting to feel more confident about returning to in-school person for his junior year. After all, the final two years of high school can be really exciting. You're thinking about your career and your life after high school. You start learning how to drive and get your license, giving you that first bit of freedom and independence.
it seemed like Adam was really starting to get his sparkle back. That's why Adam's friends and family were absolutely shocked beyond belief when they learned what he was going through behind closed doors. For Maria and Matt Raine, April 11, 2025 would be marked as the worst day of their life. The day that started a long, arduous battle in their fight for justice for their son.
That Friday afternoon, Maria Raine went into 16-year-old Adam's room to check on him when she was met with a horrifying, traumatizing sight. Her son was in the closet, unresponsive and not breathing, with a noose around his neck. I can't even begin to imagine the devastation Maria and the rest of her family experienced in the hours after finding Adam's body.
The efforts to save him that just did not work. The questions of how and why this happened. Again, he was seemingly a happy teenage boy. He had his fair share of struggles that any teenager might face. but he had endless support from everyone who loved him.
In fact, he appeared so happy, so full of life, that after news came out about Adam's death, his friends literally thought that he was playing a prank on them. He had a sort of dark humor sometimes, so they really just thought that this was all a joke. and that Adam would come out and laugh at the scare he just caused. But that wasn't the case. Adam was really gone.
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Chapter 3: How did Adam's parents respond to his tragic death?
I didn't see any signs.
What they say they didn't know at the time was Adam's use of the platform was quickly changing as it became a trusted companion for the teen, who revealed his struggles with anxiety in private chats with a bot.
Adam saying in one exchange, according to the lawsuit, quote, I never act upon intrusive thoughts, but sometimes I feel like the fact that if something goes terribly wrong, you can commit suicide is calming. ChatGPT saying in response in part, many people who struggle with anxiety or intrusive thoughts find solace in imagining an escape hatch.
The lawsuit detailing another exchange after Adam told ChatGPT he was considering approaching his mother about his suicidal thoughts. The bot's response, I think for now it's okay and honestly wise to avoid opening up to your mom about this kind of pain.
It's encouraging them not to come and talk to us. It wasn't even giving us a chance to help him.
How do you want your son to be most remembered?
I'm so worried about people forgetting him. I hope everyone will remember what a sweet, funny, great friend, great son, great brother.
Their lawsuit against ChatGPT's parent company, OpenAI, also targeting its founder, Sam Altman, who's lauded the platform's capabilities.
are very proud of the safety track record lawyers for the rain family argued the bots human-like responses and validation pose a dangerous environment for minors with the lawsuit the rains want to enact laws to regulate how ai companies operate they want open ai to implement age verification for all users as well as parental controls for minors
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