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-   -   Father's death ruled a suicide (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=586915)

  • Jul 11, 2011, 01:52 PM
    kaitmarie0528
    Father's death ruled a suicide
    I am suck in the same situation my father was said to of killed hisself I believe other wise they said he hung his self but he was only hanging for nearly 10 minutes at the most before found he was hung and a shed that was only a few inches taller then him he had no v-bruise arounf the neck and no interior bruising the lacth on the shed door was close my father couldn't of done that being in side the shed he had no alc in his system at all a nearly 9 out every 10 suicides the victim has alc in their systme but I don't know what to do.
  • Jul 11, 2011, 02:10 PM
    kaitmarie0528
    My Dad was made out to of killed hisself I think otherwise.
    Police said my dad killed hisself I have reasons to believe other wise, my dad was an alc all his life in and out of jail he finally turned his life around he was happy had his family bak everything was great he was engaged to get married, on nov 22nd police said he killed hisself there was a letter and text wer sent out but no one knows who sent then because I seen the text and once you've known someone so long you know how there text what they would abv and what they wouldn't. The letter wasn't even in my father hand written , the shed he hung in was 6 ft 5 inches tall I measured myself my dad is 6ft 3 inches for him to of died from being choked to death he would had to of been there for hour choking to death when police arrived his body was still warm like he had just hung his neck was not broke of cousr be cause it would have had to be a 6 foot or more drop to of snapped the neck, his brusing seemed to fit perfectly around the neck which is strange because when some is hung in causes interior bruising and a V line bruise around the neck wer the rweight is pulling against the ropee , which there was not. Plus ianybody that has a shed knows that there is a latch you cn close instead of locking it when my grandma arrived the lacth was close, now who did it I have no clue I know my dad couldn't of being he was inside the shed, also being an alc all your life finnally showing people your better then your past having kids believe in you and love you unconditionally itd take more then just being upsrt to hang yourself while your baby is inside the house, my dad alc was 0% he was completely sober. What should I do?
  • Jul 11, 2011, 02:29 PM
    DrBill100

    Was there an autopsy performed? Also I don't understand your point about the latch.
  • Jul 11, 2011, 02:33 PM
    kaitmarie0528
    Okay you know how there's a thing you close the put a pad lock on to lock your shed ? Well it was closed and I'm sure there was but most suicide casw they don't search all possiblitites
  • Jul 11, 2011, 02:40 PM
    DrBill100
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kaitmarie0528 View Post
    ... but most suicide casw they dnt search all possiblitites

    Quite true. The postmortem exam is nonetheless important in determining what was and was not considered and also the cause and time of death. Contained should be information gathered on scene. The most unusual part of your statement is your fathers previous history with alcohol paired with 0 BAC at time of death? Where did you obtain the information on BAC.

    Also, the fact that the note wasn't in his handwriting, if I understand you correctly.
  • Jul 11, 2011, 03:07 PM
    ScottGem

    First its not a good idea to piggyback your question on someone else's. This can lead to confusion. You should start a new thread. So I've moved your question to its own thread.

    If the coroner has ruled his death a suicide and you don't agree, your only choice is to hire your own forensic specialist to do your own exam.

    I see you did start your own thread. I've merged the threads for you. Please post responses to this thread.
  • Jul 11, 2011, 03:08 PM
    JudyKayTee

    Agree with Scott - hire a forensic specialist. Disagree with the autopsy. Disagree with the Police.

    Maybe 9 out of 10 suicides have alcohol in their system (where did you get this statistic, by the way) and your father was the 1.

    Who do you think had reason to murder your father?
  • Jul 11, 2011, 08:14 PM
    Fr_Chuck

    First yes, often things are ruled a suicide, and I am sure they are not, it is just easy to say it. Real life is not like CSI, most small town or even large city cops do not take a lot of evidence. And the little exam done is not looked close if there is no real contesting of any obvious facts.

    Next of course, a person only has to hang a few minutes to die and they don't even have to be off the floor, in prison, they will tie a shirt or cloth to a bar ( on door ) and merely lean forward and die, just leaning forward. Feet on the floor. So being or not being off the floor really is not a issue. ** if they just stand on their toes and then lifts, they can die.

    Also depending on how the material restricts the breathing, bruising may differ and often may not appear to a few days after death.

    *** I have dealt with dozens of hangings at prisons.
  • Jul 11, 2011, 08:20 PM
    Fr_Chuck
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck View Post
    First yes, often things are ruled a suicide, and I am sure they are not, it is just easy to say it. Real life is not like CSI, most small town or even large city cops do not take a lot of evidence. And the little exam done is not looked close if there is no real contesting of any obvious facts.

    Next of course, a person only has to hang a few minutes to die and they don't even have to be off the floor, in prison, they will tie a shirt or cloth to a bar ( on door ) and merely lean forward and die, just leaning forward. feet on the floor. So being or not being off the floor really is not a issue. ** if they just stand on their toes and then lifts, they can die.

    Also depending on how the material restricts the breathing, bruising may differ and often may not appear to a few days after death.

    *** I have dealt with dozens of hangings at prisons.

    But as noted police in my opinion often don't look closer than the easy and obvious answer, they don't have time or honestly concern.
    Again it is not like TV where 5 CSI people can spend three days on one case. The investigating officer has about 30 min to a few hours to do the entire check at the scene.
    The police unless there is real evidence proving murder, will leave it suicide .

    My first wife Susan was killed, ( I am sure of it, I even think I know who did it) but the police ruled it a suicide and nothing would change their minds. The fact that most women do not shoot themselves, the fact that her arm was not really long enough to reach the trigger of the rifle to put it to her head. The fact she had ability to get plenty of drugs to take instead, None of that even concerned the officers.

    So yes, often I am sure they get it wrong and normally the murdered never find justice
  • Jul 11, 2011, 09:06 PM
    kaitmarie0528
    My father sent out a text 5 minutes before someone found him his body was still warm coould it of still been suicide?
  • Jul 11, 2011, 09:32 PM
    DrBill100
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kaitmarie0528 View Post
    My father sent out a text 5 mins before someone found him his body was still warm coould it of still been suicide?

    The factors you mention, position of neck marks, 0 BAC, possibly door, and time interval (5 mins), and note are unusual as you recite them. The postmortem investigation should note those factors, plus other information. As Fr Chuck has noted these matters are often handled shoddily and that is especially true of the findings issued by coroners and medical examiners. The report should be available to you and the only cost, if any, should be for copying. If you had that I could be of more assistance.
  • Jul 12, 2011, 03:48 AM
    ScottGem
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kaitmarie0528 View Post
    My father sent out a text 5 mins before someone found him his body was still warm coould it of still been suicide?

    There is absolutely no way for us to give you a definitive answer either way. You do make a case for further investigation, but if the coroner has ruled, you have hire someone else to do the investigation.

    If you are in a small town you might try going up to the state level to see if you can interest someone in taking a further look.
  • Jul 12, 2011, 05:48 AM
    AK lawyer

    What do you want to do?
    Set the record straight and establish that he didn't take his own life? Or
    Determine who actually was responsible?

    If it's the latter, you need to establish a list of suspects, and go through their respective means, opportunity, motive, etc.

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