Mother Charged With Causing Son's Suicide

[Hum]

MUNCIE, IN -- A Muncie mother has been charged with driving her 16-year-old son to commit suicide.

Sabrina Ann Howard, 40, was arrested Monday on preliminary charges of causing suicide and neglect of a dependent, both Class B felonies.

Her son died July 11, a day after he took his mother's prescription medications, including 30 Xanax pills and 26 tablets of a painkiller, police said.

Family members told police that the boy was upset over having to repeatedly confront his mother about her drug addiction, and that he had told her he was worried he'd come home and find her dead from an overdose.

Police called Howard a chronic drug user who abused both prescription drugs and street IV morphine. She had fresh track marks on her wrist during the interview with investigators, police said.

The morning the boy took the medications, Howard confronted him about it, telling him the pills could kill him, but she did not seek medical attention for her son until more than eight hours later, when she found him unresponsive, police said.

The boy had threatened to commit suicide in January, but Howard refused to admit her son to a treatment center, according to the probable cause affidavit.

"He had threatened suicide before and she had taken him out to our local Ball Hospital," said Sgt. Linda Cook with Muncie police. "They were going to admit him to the Anderson Center, and mom ended up just leaving the hospital with him against medical advice."

Howard was being held without bond at the Delaware County Jail.

The charge of causing suicide is rarely used in Indiana.

"Causing a suicide (is) where you put the person under such duress that they end up committing suicide," Cook said. "This is the first time I've ever charged anyone with causing a suicide. I've definitely investigated a lot of neglect cases."

Howard is set to appear in court this month on misdemeanors charges of battery and disorderly conduct in an unrelated case.

source

[Colin McGregor]

stupid. her sons stupidity is her fault??

[The Rev]

stupid. her sons stupidity is her fault??

Her stupidity as well for not keeping her dangerous narcotics under lock and key.

[Hum]

What is the world coming to -- this is twice in the last few days I corrected the spelling in a news story. :/

[sanctified Veteran]

stupid. her sons stupidity is her fault??

If that's what you have to say after reading the context then I feel sorry for you.

[Original Poster]

stupid. her sons stupidity is her fault??

I agree with your point thst you are trying to make. while i believe people who commit suicide, imo, are pathetic (excluding those who seek death cause they are paralyzed from neck down)... as do I have no respect for people like his mother... the woman is a drug abuser who destroyed her family because of it

[Growled Member]

That woman deserves the death penalty.

[techbeck]

stupid. her sons stupidity is her fault??

And the mother did nothing after she found out he took the pills. Did you read the story?

The morning the boy took the medications, Howard confronted him about it, telling him the pills could kill him, but she did not seek medical attention for her son until more than eight hours later, when she found him unresponsive, police said.

The son was dependent on her and she let him die. Yea, stupid on the kids part but kids do stupid things. Why there are parents to protect kids and make sure they get on with life like they should.

[Charisma Veteran]

I agree with your point thst you are trying to make. while i believe people who commit suicide, imo, are pathetic (excluding those who seek death cause they are paralyzed from neck down)... as do I have no respect for people like his mother... the woman is a drug abuser who destroyed her family because of it

What if a person has no family to destroy, nobody who cares about them? What if the suicide isn't going to hurt anyone, but is going to alleviate a lot of suffering? I think people who think the way you do are selfish... who expect someone to hang onto a miserable, hopeless existence because it's going to make you feel better. If you cared enough about the person to where their death really would affect your life, well, maybe they wouldn't be suicidal to begin with.

/end rant

[Colin McGregor]

Her stupidity as well for not keeping her dangerous narcotics under lock and key.

I read the story again. He was 16 years old with no mental disabilities. Why should she have to lock anything up from a 16 year old?? He wasn't 5 yrs old and found pills on the table and ate them he was a grown ass man. He can drive a car and be half done high school. So again his stupidity got her in trouble.

What if a person has no family to destroy, nobody who cares about them? What if the suicide isn't going to hurt anyone, but is going to alleviate a lot of suffering? I think people who think the way you do are selfish... who expect someone to hang onto a miserable, hopeless existence because it's going to make you feel better. If you cared enough about the person to where their death really would affect your life, well, maybe they wouldn't be suicidal to begin with.

/end rant

this was actually the stupidest thing i've read in a long time and i just left reddit. if you cared they wouldn't have done it, let them kill themselves cause they don't like their life. Its selfish to let them live. Im guessing your either emo or female.

[MDboyz]

Our parenting is going down. People don't want to be responsible for the one they gave birth anymore. The boy is not stupid. He is just hopeless, and did wrong thing in the moment to stop his mom from drug addiction.

[Original Poster]

What if a person has no family to destroy, nobody who cares about them? What if the suicide isn't going to hurt anyone, but is going to alleviate a lot of suffering? I think people who think the way you do are selfish... who expect someone to hang onto a miserable, hopeless existence because it's going to make you feel better. If you cared enough about the person to where their death really would affect your life, well, maybe they wouldn't be suicidal to begin with.

/end rant

(imagine me saying this is a calm voice cause this is not a rant or an argument) I know more about this kind of thing then you think and I see 100% where you are coming from I still stick by my thoughts though suicide is the cowards way out being selfish or not is something completely different from my point suicide is for the weak.

[HawkMan]

cowards way out it might be, BUT I also feel like a lot of people here do not understand what mental illnesses can do to you. it doesn't specifically say if he had any diagnosis or suffered from any psychic issues but it seems likely especially with a mother like that. it's not like he's grown up in a very healthy home.

[Big b0b]

pos mom is pos.

[Anibal P]

What if a person has no family to destroy, nobody who cares about them? What if the suicide isn't going to hurt anyone, but is going to alleviate a lot of suffering? I think people who think the way you do are selfish... who expect someone to hang onto a miserable, hopeless existence because it's going to make you feel better. If you cared enough about the person to where their death really would affect your life, well, maybe they wouldn't be suicidal to begin with.

/end rant

All suicides are acts of selfishness, nothing more or less than that

[Nerd Rage]

I agree that the mom is a POS. However, people need to be held accountable for their own actions. He chose to kill himself.

[Ottawa Gamerz]

another story from the great old usa

he kills him self and moms does nutting should be charged with something not to be killed why she didnt feed him the pills he could of left and got help if casey anthony can walk and oj can walk if she has a good lawyor she wont do much time

if my family member was a drug user and u asked her or him to quit they said no get out of the house

you dont have to kill yourself over that

[Hum]

... suicide is for the weak.

It takes a lot of guts to kill yourself. ;)

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

Muncie?! That's the city I grew up in!

[Original Poster]

It takes a lot of guts to kill yourself. ;)

but even more to taken on the world