Girl, Interrupted: Death of 8-yr-old girl ruled suicide by medical examiner

[onedef92]

Death of 8-yr-old girl ruled suicide by medical examiner

Posted: May 25, 2011 11:33 AM EDT
Updated: May 25, 2011 4:45 PM EDT

ANDERSON COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - The death of an 8-year-old Anderson County girl has been ruled a suicide by the Medical Examiner's office.

Toni Blair Wilson was found dead in a wooded area behind her home last month.

The Wilson family was at a bar-b-cue with several neighboring families, when according to investigators, Toni Wilson said she forgot something out in the woods, went back to get it and never returned.

About an hour after she left family and friends started searching for her and found her body in the woods.

The case was first ruled as an "equivocal death", but now medical investigators have ruled the death a suicide. Dr. John Stash has determined that the cause of death was asphyxia by hanging. She had used bailing wire tied to a tree branch.

When she was found, Toni had an abrasion on her face. She also had abrasions on her right shoulder, right forearm, right abdomen, right buttock, on the left of her back.

The medical examiner's report also states the young girl had a history of suicidal behavior.

Justice of the Peace, James Westley has not made an official ruling yet.

[onedef92]

Horrifically tragic. A death without comprehension.

[6SpeedBowtie]

She had abrasions all over her body, but this death of an 8 year old girl is ruled a suicide???

Doesn't make any sense to me.

Apparently if you want to 'off' someone, Anderson county, TX is the place to do it. Just make it look like they hanged themselves.

[onedef92]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedBowtie

She had abrasions all over her body, but this death of an 8 year old girl is ruled a suicide???

Doesn't make any sense to me.

Apparently if you want to 'off' someone, Anderson county, TX is the place to do it. Just make it look like they hanged themselves.

Sheesh! Where's Megan Hunt when you need her?

[Blademaker]

Not sure if I'm buying the suicide theory.

[MEC5LADY]

[joecaver]

very sad
I wonder if she got all the abrasions from thrashing about while hanging close to the tree trunk.

[jaxgator]

Suicide? I was afraid of dyng at that age.

[Yerf Dog]

The medical examiner's report also states the young girl had a history of suicidal behavior.

An eight year old has a history of suicidal behavior?

[Rotorhead]

The judge has not made an official ruling yet. C'mon, folks, it the media. I'm pretty sure an investigation will point towards something other than suicide.

[VITE1]

What could drive an 8 year old to suicide?

[C5SilverBullet]

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

The judge has not made an official ruling yet. C'mon, folks, it the media. I'm pretty sure an investigation will point towards something other than suicide.

A judge doesn't sign the death certificate, the medical examiner certifies the cause of death.

[Kerrmudgeon]

Sounds very fishy to me. Are they too lazy to investigate?

[Yerf Dog]

Originally Posted by Kerrmudgeon

Sounds very fishy to me. Are they too lazy to investigate?

[1911fool]

When I was in the police academy we were in the investigation bloc. An investigator was showing pictures of an "obvious" suicide". The guy was hanging in a tree with half his head gone and a short ladder under him. The rope was long enough to allow him to stand on the ladder.

The theory was that he tied himself to the tree and took his shotgun and stuck it in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
The shotgun was a Remington 870. It was laying on the ground below him.

I questioned that it was really a suicide. The investigator explained to me that I was just a cadet and she was the investigator and knew much more than I did.

Then I asked her to show the picture of the shotgun again.
I pointed out that the bolt was fully closed and there was an empty hull on the ground. Which meant that the action had been cycled after the trigger was pulled.

She explained that sometimes these suicidal folks will fire once or twice in the air to get the nerve up.

I said, ok that would explain the hull on the ground, but how do you explain that the bolt was closed?
She told us that when he fired he obviously dropped the gun and didnt cycle the action.

I returned with, yes I can understand that, but when it is fired the action unlocks.

She said the action closed again when it hit the ground.

I then got into gravity and how the butt end of the gun was heavier than the muzzle end and would have hit the ground first. With the butt hitting first, the action would have continued moving down and would have been open.

Didn't matter it was still ruled a suicide.

[khblair]

very sad

[themonk]

She had a history of suicide attempts, well I guess she finally succeeded.

[G8rDMD]

[American Made]

Ugly whichever way it turns out to be understood.