Help Suicide investigations in the USA

[yeahokbuddyboy]

Does anyone have any anecdotes/experiences regarding what happens after a successful attempt? Fortunately, I've never known anyone who has committed suicide, so the idea of what I'll be leaving my family and girlfriend with is foreign to me, and I want to make sure it goes as "smoothly" as possible after the fact.

From what I understand, all suicides are investigated until it's certain that there was no foul play, etc. I would assume it to be a pretty cut and dry deal considering my notes and method (two charcoal grills in my car).

So, these are my questions; any answers or resources on how these things work is appreciated.

• How long would it take for my notes to get to my people if the police take them as evidence?
• Is it likely they'll have to interview my last known contacts? (Roommates, gf)
• I assume police will take my electronics as evidence - do they usually give them back to the family after investigation? And how thoroughly do they look through devices? I have nothing I want to hide except this forum, which I do not think will be traceable unless they really wanted to. I'm leaving my iPhone passcode in my note so my family can take whatever they want from it.
• How long does the whole investigation usually take?
• What are the chances this gets media? I'll be CTB just outside my university's town on a school night and I'm from an uneventful small town. I know it doesn't really matter to me because I'll be dead but I hate the idea that I could be blowing up my family's life on like a county or state level and end up as one of those occasional poster boys for suicide awareness. Maybe that's a good thing lol, idk.

 

[MyLifeisHell]

1. They should return the notes after the investigation is complete. I have heard of some various callous and horrifying instances where notes are not returned (if the person ever got a chance to read it), where they say they have no obligation to release "evidence". I don't know, if I were you if you could I'd try to make it so that your personal notes could be found by your family after the fact so they're not seized and held up indefinitely. As you said it is a good idea to leave a general note to the authorities making it clear it was a self-inflicted death though that is not enough to stave off an investigation. Also ID and a a sample of your handwriting to compare the note to.

2. Yes, they will probably interview them to get a sense of your mental state.

3. They do seize electronics and examine the files though obviously you could easily prevent them from gaining access to the physical files stored on the devices. The unambiguity of the suicide I guess does determine just how deep they go, but they want to make sure you weren't coerced to and that it was a "pure" suicide. They also examine internet activity. They should return electronics; it is not their property to keep. But who knows with the popo.

4. You can facilitate it by leaving a note attesting to your intent. If it is a pure suicide which if you're here writing about it it obviously is, it shouldn't take that long. They just have to do their due diligence.

5. I don't know. If you're from a small town everything unusual becomes more newsworthy. The circumstances of how you died (how public it is, for example) also affect how much media traction it may get. You could Google "college student suicide" to get a sense of how much attention it gets. A lot depends on how much your family puts it out there too. Worth mentioning that the suicide of a college student naturally gets attention.

I'm sorry, having our deaths be treated as criminals and subject to such scrutiny feels so unfair and violating, regardless if we are not there.

I hate to ask this, but especially given your age, do you want to talk about what is leading you to this point?

 

[yeahokbuddyboy]

Thank you for being so helpful and taking the time to respond.

I hate to ask this, but especially given your age, do you want to talk about what is leading you to this point?

My post history might explain a bit.

 

[sad_rock]

1. They should return the notes after the investigation is complete. I have heard of some various callous and horrifying instances where notes are not returned (if the person ever got a chance to read it), where they say they have no obligation to release "evidence". I don't know, if I were you if you could I'd try to make it so that your personal notes could be found by your family after the fact so they're not seized and held up indefinitely. As you said it is a good idea to leave a general note to the authorities making it clear it was a self-inflicted death though that is not enough to stave off an investigation. Also ID and a a sample of your handwriting to compare the note to.

2. Yes, they will probably interview them to get a sense of your mental state.

3. They do seize electronics and examine the files though obviously you could easily prevent them from gaining access to the physical files stored on the devices. The unambiguity of the suicide I guess does determine just how deep they go, but they want to make sure you weren't coerced to and that it was a "pure" suicide. They also examine internet activity. They should return electronics; it is not their property to keep. But who knows with the popo.

4. You can facilitate it by leaving a note attesting to your intent. If it is a pure suicide which if you're here writing about it it obviously is, it shouldn't take that long. They just have to do their due diligence.

5. I don't know. If you're from a small town everything unusual becomes more newsworthy. The circumstances of how you died (how public it is, for example) also affect how much media traction it may get. You could Google "college student suicide" to get a sense of how much attention it gets. A lot depends on how much your family puts it out there too. Worth mentioning that the suicide of a college student naturally gets attention.

I'm sorry, having our deaths be treated as criminals and subject to such scrutiny feels so unfair and violating, regardless if we are not there.

I hate to ask this, but especially given your age, do you want to talk about what is leading you to this point?

its unfortunate that the process seems so invasive.

 

[yeahokbuddyboy]

its unfortunate that the process seems so invasive.

I agree. It's obviously not an easy thing to leave people with in the first place, and the idea of them being subjected to interviews and having to wait for what small closure we deliberately leave for them is tough. Obviously most law enforcement probably just does their due diligence but it sucks how many things in society have to be out of our control.

 

[Jolene79]

I couldn't think of anything worse than it being in the media. For those left behind