Posted on 10/27/2005 11:04:29 AM PDT by Millee
The apparent suicide of a woman found hanging from a tree went unreported for hours because passers-by thought the body was a Halloween decoration, authorities said.The 42-year-old woman used rope to hang herself across the street from some homes on a moderately busy road late Tuesday or early Wednesday, state police said.
The body, suspended about 15 feet above the ground, could be easily seen from passing vehicles.
State police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Oldham and neighbors said people noticed the body at breakfast time Wednesday but dismissed it as a holiday prank. Authorities were called to the scene more than three hours later.
"They thought it was a Halloween decoration," Fay Glanden, wife of Mayor William Glanden, told The (Wilmington) News Journal.
"It looked like something somebody would have rigged up," she said.
Sadly, no. I got paid to do it.
Well, it would have helped if you didn't wear that "Touch Me Here" sign
They made me wear it. It was one of those stores.
I did take more than a few opportunities to scare the beejesus out of people, though.
I like your f'ed up sense of humor.
My husband just called me. One of his coworkers lives in that town had passed the location yesterday morning. This is not a cold, uncaring person, but rather one who has a "corpse" hanging from a tree in his front yard.
Actually I should say "HAD"....according to him it seems all such decorations have disappered from trees in the area. The coworker's wife removed theirs yesterday afternoon when she heard about this.
Yeah, that's interesting. Fact is, most people go unnoticed when they don't do anything to attract notice. That's where religion comes in. If religion isn't the thing, there is always the penal system or political agitation.
Yikes!
I was thinking more from someone who's hurting terribly, but has no one to turn to for help or comfort. And knows that one one cares.
You oughtta see our Halloween set up. MmmWaaaaahahahaha
I guess my point is that as sad as it is this poor woman felt she had nothing to live for, the criticism of passing motorists is unwarranted, unfair, and hurtful.
You oughtta show us!
Now, enough thread hijacking for one day. Someone is gonna get mad that I am making jokes on a suicide thread.
Actually, your comments regarding Halloween decorating are perfectly inline with the underlying point of this article.
It is because "corpses" hanging from trees is not an uncommon Halloween decoration in that area that this poor soul wasn't discovered sooner. Heck, they're popular aruond here and I'm about 75 miles away from where this incident occurred.
Perhaps, unless she's still sporting "Kerry/Edwards" signs in her front yard, then wait till after the holidays. ;-)
LOL
Of course. I was thinking of Emerson's true man.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4386132.stm
Suicide taken for Halloween prank
A US woman who killed herself was left hanging in public for more than 12 hours because people who saw the body mistook it for a Halloween decoration.
The woman, 42, hanged herself from a tree on a fairly busy road in the US state of Delaware, state police said.
It was not until hours after neighbours first saw the body hanging at breakfast time that the police were called.
"It looked like something somebody would have rigged up," local resident Fay Glanden told a local newspaper.
"They thought it was a Halloween decoration," Mrs Glanden told the News Journal newspaper of Wilmington, Delaware.
The body, in the town of Frederica, was clearly visible to passing cars, the report says.
Officials have not released any information about the woman.
Police spokesman Cpl Jeff Oldham said they were treating the death as a suicide.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051027/NEWS/510270368/-1/NEWS01
FREDERICA -- A 42-year-old Frederica woman apparently climbed up a tree with a length of rope and hanged herself from a branch after 9 p.m. Tuesday, Delaware State Police said Wednesday.
The body, suspended from a branch about 15 feet above the ground, was easily visible from passing vehicles before the scene was blocked off about 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Authorities were not alerted earlier because passers-by thought it was a Halloween display. The scene of the apparent suicide is across the street from residences along Frederica Road, a moderately used connector to Milford and other points north and south along U.S. 113, and about 200 yards south of the Frederica Volunteer Fire Company.
Delaware State Police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Oldham said the death was being investigated as a suicide. He said the victim lived about a quarter-mile from where her body was found.
(snip)
According to Oldham and residents who live nearby, people noticed the body about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, but dismissed it as a Halloween prank. Authorities were called to the scene about 10:55 a.m.
"They thought it was a Halloween decoration," said Fay Glanden, wife of Frederica Mayor William C. "Chick" Glanden. She was among a handful of residents who watched from across Frederica Road as authorities tended to the body.
(snip)
This neighborhood must have some good halloween decorations.
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