Missing Boy's Mother Says She Was 'Misunderstood' In Suicide Note
POSTED: Saturday, September 23, 2006
UPDATED: 9:20 pm EDT September 23,
2006
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LEESBURG, Fla. -- A woman who killed herself days after reporting her 2-year-old son missing said in a suicide note she ended her life after facing ridicule and criticism. According to a two-page handwritten letter authorities released Saturday, Melinda Duckett, now named the primary suspect in the disappearance of her son Trenton, said she loved her son dearly and she was misunderstood. The balance of the letter spoke to the heavy media questions endured in interviews just before the suicide, including a confrontational spot on CNN Headline News' Nancy Grace in which the host and guests openly questioned her innocence. Twenty-one-year-old Duckett killed herself with a shotgun at her grandparents' home on Sept. 8. Her suicide came a day after a contentious Grace taping, and family members have blamed critical media reports pushing her to kill herself. Authorities have not found any signs of Trenton, despite massive searches in the Ocala National Forest. Duckett told police he disappeared from his bedroom on Aug. 27. A scaled-back search based on a new tip is scheduled for Sunday or Monday. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Copyright 2006 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Previous Stories:
- September 22, 2006: Report Of Missing Boy On Orlando Flight Sends FBI, Police Scrambling
- September 21, 2006: Police: Accomplice Likely Involved In Central Fla. Boy's Disappearance
- September 21, 2006: New Timeline Released In Missing-Boy Case
- September 20, 2006: Missing Boy's Toys, Sonogram Found In Trash
- September 19, 2006: Gator Hunt In Missing Boy Search Canceled
- September 18, 2006: Stomachs Of Alligators To Be Examined In Missing-Boy Search
- September 18, 2006: Search For Missing Central Florida Boy May Take New Direction
- September 18, 2006: Hundreds Of Tips Received In Missing-Boy Case
- September 16, 2006: Source: Hand-Drawn Map Lead Not Credible In Missing Boy Case
- September 15, 2006: Report: Hand-Drawn Map Shows Travels Of Missing Boy's Mom
- September 15, 2006: Father: Stuffed Animal Found In Forest Likely Not Missing Boy's Toy
- September 14, 2006: Stuffed Animal Found In Ocala National Forest Search For Boy
- September 13, 2006: Family: Media Coverage May Have Pushed Missing Boy's Mom Over Edge
- September 8, 2006: Body Of Missing Boy's Mom Found
- September 8, 2006: Missing Boy's Mother Declines Polygraph; Father Passes Test
- September 6, 2006: Search Continues For Missing Boy
- September 5, 2006: Police Seek Help In Verifying Alibis Of Missing Boy's Parents
- September 2, 2006: Tip Prompts Search Of Woods For Missing Boy
- September 1, 2006: Search Continues For Missing Boy
- August 30, 2006: Sex Offenders Questioned In Search For Boy
- August 29, 2006: Police: Missing Central Fla. Boy In Danger
- August 28, 2006: Police: Boy May Have Been Abducted From Bedroom
Copyright 2006 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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