Authorities released the details of a suicide letter from a Florida woman who took her own life just days after reporting her 2-year-old son was missing. The two-page, handwritten note from Melinda Duckett said her son, Trenton, was "all I was breathing for" and spoke mainly of heavy media questioning leading up to her death. In the letter, addressed to the public, Duckett said, "your focus came off of my son. I love him and only wanted him safe in my arms," adding that her words were "twisted" and she was misunderstood. The most glaring example of the harsh questioning she spoke of came from a controversial interview on CNN Headline News with host Nancy Grace, as Grace was forceful in being suspicious of Duckett's innocence regarding the boy's disappearance. The CNN interview, which aired after Duckett's death, featured Grace pounding on her desk and demanding to know where Duckett was at the time of her son's disappearance. Duckett refused to reveal the information because she was "told not to." Grace went on, saying, "[Y]ou're not telling us for a reason. What is the reason you are refusing to give the simplest facts of where you were with your son before he went missing?" The not-so-subtle insinuations of Grace showed an incredible lack of class and sensitivity. The young woman, who was more than likely blindsided by the line of questioning, was titled to a presumption of innocence and even victimhood. It is customary for suspicion to be cast upon parents in these kinds of cases, and Duckett had even been named the prime suspect in the case, but it is still not CNN's place to be firing off Judge Judy-style accusations. This isn't to say that these types of interviews aren't appropriate when used correctly. It's one thing to attack a politician or athlete for a controversy, but to put this kind of media attention on a fragile mother mourning the disappearance of her child is absurd and completely lacking of moral decency. It's impossible to know for sure if Grace's interview is what caused Duckett to take her own life, but at the very least, Grace deserves to be suspended or fired. The day after Duckett's suicide, Grace refused to apologize. "If anything, I would suggest that guilt made her commit suicide," she said on ABC's Good Morning America. Bloggers are saying that Grace's outburst raises a larger issue: helping and abetting the death of public confidence in the law. With such contempt for the court, it's amazing that Grace tries so hard to act like a prosecutor. CNN deserves some of the blame, mostly for allowing the interview to air, particularly when they already knew of Duckett's suicide. It would be nice to think that this kind of thing wouldn't be featured on Headline News. Whether time proves Nancy Grace to be right or not, the fact that she is sitting behind a desk and crying guilty before allowing anyone to be prosecuted should be grounds for her being removed from CNN, and never being on any kind of news program again. http://media.www.dailyvidette.com/m...idette.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com What do the educated DP analysts think about Nancy Grace? Come on folks get posting now
1. Yes, the major media are disgusting and will do/say anything for ratings. 2. The courts are to presume innocence but people should be able to express their opinions (even if they are ignorant opinions based on nothing). 3. Suicide is a personal choice and the responsibility for it rests with the individual. Many people face horrible circumstances in life and have not killed themselves. 4. If you ever find yourself under media scrutiny, don't grant interviews. You wrestle with pigs in a mud hole you're going to get dirty.
I live where this is happening. I have been seeing things others may not see. Nancy Grace did a service in the case. Plain and simple. It's amasing that people will think a psycho that killed herself did so because she got asked some hard questions. Questions she refused to answer to even to police to help her son be found. No one took the focus off of little Trenton Duckett but Melinda Duckett her self. The letter is what is called a form of projection. Melinda Duckett would not and did not cooperate with the police in any way shape or form. She was likely the main reason something happened to Trenton Duckett. People need to see the way the police and community here have focused on finding Trenton Duckett. The focus here has been like nothing I have ever seen before. I can say this because I cooperated with the Leesburg and Lake County Police just the beginning of the year and we put a pedophile away on my testimony/deposition without having to go to trial. They worked hard on that, but they are working a gazillion times harder on this with all the commitment they can. I have seen it and I am seeing again with my own eyes and ears. The focus here on Trenton Duckett has never been lax by the police nor the community. The only one that did not help find Trenton Duckett was Melinda Duckett. Get it straight next time! If you want to contribute to the Trenton Duckett Trust Fund or take part in the motorcyclists poker run for Trenton Duckett, follow these links. Don't lose focus on Trenton Duckett because of the lies that anyone lost focus on Trenton Duckett. It did not happen except for Melinda Duckett and her evasion of the issue and her lies.
Thats very important information giving what is possibly a much more likely assessment of this scenario. Thanks noppid I started the thread with a news clip, I did not exact any opinion, just simply posted the quote
I did not see the interview, but I agree with Noppid. This gal was obviously mental. I, for one, don't agree with shifting blame to the questioner when the person being questioned is a wacko. (No offense Nintendo) From what I understand, Nancy did her job and asked very relevant questions. If Duckett was that mentally unstable, she should have been in the psych ward under doctors care. Blame Duckett, because only she is to blame for her decision to end her life, no one else made that decision for her.
As you can see, this hits very close to home for me. I suspect that the asswipe named Bill O'Reilly is behind this perception of Nancy Grace. Bill's need to strike venom at a CNN reporter is taking the focus off of the real issue, Trenton Duckett. That pisses me off to no end that people would have media pissing matches for their own agendas when a child, Trenton Duckett, is in need of help and cause any distraction from that fact.
I think she was just trying to get information to find the child. And it's Tucker Carlson thats always critisizing Nancy Grace . Not O'reilly. Carlson has blasted her for lessor things than this.
Tucker Carlson, Bill O'reilly, and Nancy Grace are all of the same mold. They'll do whatever it takes for ratings. I honestly don't even know where I'd begin in defending this fact as it's so blatantly obvious that that is what they do.
That's exactly what Nancy was doing to Melinda. "Striking venom" at her. There is no excuse for Nancy's conduct. None. It had consequences. She should take responsibility for being a party to those consequences. Instead, she offers: "If anything, I would suggest that guilt made her commit suicide," Oh yeah, Bill is the real evil culprit here
It is my OPINION that Nancy Grace is an overzealous bitch with a platform. If this is everyone's idea of a fair-minded journalist OR attorney, then what a sad refelection on our legal system! She did her job? And what was that? To convict someone in the court of public opinion? Noppid - I also live in Florida, somewhat close to Leesburg. I catch all of the local news. I will NEVER understand what good it does (towards promoting justice in the courtroom) to release SO MANY "facts" of a case before they go to trial. Undoubtedly, someone will say, "the public has a right to know." Yeah, when you're the accused, see if you sing the same song. Let the jury pool get a good tainting before you get your day. Most idiots that see the this stuff in the news, and form a far-reaching opinion, forget about the story within a week, when something more titillating comes along. And the same type of person seldom has a good grasp of the law in the first place. For what the Nancy Grace crowd mentality is worth, we should disband the jury system, and replace them with posses. Nancy Grace serves her audience well. She is an obnoxious bitch who does a great job of coaching emotion, aside from the facts. Noppid - I would suggest that even if you know something that others don't, innocence until proven guilty IS the cornerstone of our legal system. If people don't cooperate with police that's a GREAT excuse to focus on that person, and build the case QUIETLY against them. It doesn't have to be a media circus. We'd probably have higher conviction rates if we learned that lesson.
Can you (or someone) just outline what preliminay evidence pointed to Melinda Duckett's guilt? Thank you.
Without knowing the evidence against Melinda Duckett, there is a third possibility, a mother depresed over the loss of her child. Granted, the evidence may prove me wrong.
Nancy makes me want to scream. She is so full of herself, it is pouring out her ears - righteous, brow-beating b|tch. No Nancy, you are NOT G0d! Holier than thou, AND mean-spirited. I hate Tucker Carlson the most. G0d, what a sniveling little TWIT! John Stewart should give him the business once again. Then Bill O'Reilly, the porn talking freak - jerk central - say whatever you want, until I interrupt you, again and again, and again - and if you don't shut up, get off my show! I'll let you have the last word, until I cut your mike, and insult what you last said. Last word, my asp. Bill never gives anyone the last word, without one final stab, so you can't respond. If you disagree with Bill and you go on his show, you are an idiot. A punching bag. O'Reilly cannon fodder. What Bill lacks in intelligence, he makes up for by bullying. And Sean O'Fantasy - don't even ask.