Dubbed "Vodka Mom" in scathing Nancy Grace segment, MN woman burns self to death

[jjenny]

However rude and obnoxious NG might be, I think it's ridiculous to blame it on her. This woman was facing criminal trial and potential prison time if convicted. These charges were brought in June. She could very well have been afraid of ending up in prison.

 

[HMSHood]

The woman clearly had problems before Nancy Grace. She clearly had a drinking problem. I am no fan of her either.

 

[Melanie]

IMO NG shouldn't have ANY deaths on her conscience. She didn't make those 2 moms kill themselves.

I can tell you, if I had rolled on top of my baby and killed him/her because I was drunk out of my mind, I'd probably feel like killing myself too.

NG didn't cause this.

This woman had major issues. Issues that cost her baby's life and caused her to take her own.

JMO

I agree - it's not NG's fault that she killed herself. It's always convenient to shift blame onto others rather than hold the person who killed their chilld accountable.

Just my opinion --

Mel

 

[Melanie]

So...when kids are bullied and bullied and commit suicide, the bully's (or is that bullies?) bear no responsibility?

Not attacking you, dear Hopeful, just playing devil's advocate.

Kids who are bullied are innocent victims. This mother drank a 5th of vodka, smothered her child, and that child died. I'd have a word or two to say to her too.

I don't see why or how the mother is a victim here - makes no sense to me. But we are all entitled to our own opinion.

MOO

Mel

 

[WholeLottaRosie]

I can think of three suicides that occurred directly after NG convicted and ridiculed people on her murdertainment program. They may or may not have been guilty, but it is clear that the pressures they experienced after NG broadcast her lopsided, often unsubstantiated opinion were too much. A talking head shouldn't have any suicides connected with his or her opinion.

Who is the third? I can think of this one and Trenton Duckett's mother. I can't watch NG anymore. And I used to through on the calls. LOL

 

[otto]

Who is the third? I can think of this one and Trenton Duckett's mother. I can't watch NG anymore. And I used to through on the calls. LOL

Ryan Jenkins committed suicide after NG interfered with the case. Had she let justice take it's course, it's very likely that he would have turned himself in (per discussions with his lawyer) and been prosecuted. NG was turning the public into a lynch mob, fearmongering and spreading wild rumour.

 

[Melanie]

Ryan Jenkins committed suicide after NG interfered with the case. Had she let justice take it's course, it's very likely that he would have turned himself in (per discussions with his lawyer) and been prosecuted. NG was turning the public into a lynch mob, fearmongering and spreading wild rumour.

Ryan was fleeing from the police though after killing Jasmine Fiore -- who was brutally beaten, her teeth pulled out of her head, her fingers removed to conceal identity and folded up into a suitcase.

Good riddance to him -- I don't blame that on Nancy Grace one bit. While I do believe she's over the top, I don't think she drives anyone to suicide.

Just my opinion - thanks.

Melanie

 

[Seek&Find]

If the other children were still in her care, they may have seen her suicide and/or its aftermath, as she did it in the middle of the night and family members doused her. The surviving children have experienced so much trauma. God help them.

Emergency crews were called to a home in the 1300 block of Chicago Avenue about 4 a.m. Monday, July 2, after someone at the home reported that a woman was burned after attempting suicide by starting herself on fire in the backyard. The home belongs to Medrano’s mother.

family members put her in the shower by the time authorities arrived to find her with serious, life-threatening burns. She was transported by Cottage Grove ambulance to Regions Hospital in St. Paul but later died from the injuries, Monahan said. The date of her death was not immediately available; Monahan said his department was notified of her death Sunday morning.

Was she in the hospital for almost a week after her attempt? Link

 

[Seek&Find]

County Attorney Pete Orput said he was saddened by the news and until now believed Medrano had been seeking the county's help for chemical dependency and parenting counseling. "She chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem," Orput said.

(from link 2 below)

And she went out drinking the night she attempted suicide.

Hill said her daughter went drinking one week ago before returning to her mother's home and lighting the fire that led to her death.

link

Medrano apparently lit the fire that killed her while at her mother's home in the 1200 block of Chicago Av. S. in St. Paul Park, a quiet street of ramblers and full, tall trees. Her mother, Yvonne Hill, declined to comment Monday, citing the advice of her lawyer.

link 2

So she did this at her mom's home. Hoping the kids were elsewhere. It's more than enough they had to lose their baby brother, deal with mom's drinking problem, and then her choice to die.

Heartbreaking for mom or whichever family members tried to save her.

Per article, she died Saturday, so she was in the hospital for awhile.

Medrano lived with her husband and older children about 10 minutes from her mother in Cottage Grove...On Monday, the door to their townhouse was decorated with pictures and children's artwork along with a quotation from popular self-help author Nathaniel Branden's book, "Psychology of Romantic Love," which read:

"We must learn that if heroism and strength mean anything, it is the willingness to face reality, to face truth, to respect facts, to accept that which is, is."

. From link 2

 

[oh_gal]

I don't think anyone is saying NG is totally responsible for this lady killing herself. At least, I haven't read that. Her callous remarks, however, may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

I don't know about anyone else here, but I certainly have experienced situations where someone said something, or something happened, that was "the straw that broke the camel's back" for me.

Again, I don't condone, for one minute, how this woman chose to live her life or drink a fifth of vodka; she was not a good, capable parent, it seems. Obviously she had some issues and/or problems. She was, most probably, filled with self-loathing for how her actions killed her child. She was probably a ticking time bomb. Her actions took the life of an innocent child. She's paid the ultimate price for that.

Unfortunately, no degree of animosity, derision, or loathing aimed toward her will ever bring her son, or her, back.

What she did to her child was horrific. No one disagrees with that, I'm sure.

 

[Seek&Find]

The timeline alone does not ring true for NG to bear responsibility for Toni's suicide attempt. She ran one show about it June 11. Toni went out drinking July 2, returned to her mother's house, and lit herself on fire. Three weeks later. That doesn't lend itself to NG's story being what broke her, or the final straw. Perhaps there'd be a little more argument to be made for that had she been watching NG's show, turned it off, then lit herself on fire. But not three weeks later. (Although that still would've been driven by many factors) People don't belatedly snap from a trigger, 3 weeks later.

If someone went drinking with her that night, or enabled it, even after her 2 DUIs and the death of her baby, they bear more responsibility as contributing than NG does.

IMO, the family is in pain, from the lose of Toni & the baby, Toni's drinking problem and her choices, and perhaps from any enabling deep in their hearts they feel they might have done, or any missed chances for intervention to save either one. Not that the family is responsible for Toni's choices. But that would lend itself more easily to trying to point to someone else as being responsible or playing a role in her death.

I wish Toni had made different choices, for her sake and many others'. She was created with a purpose and I'm sure had gifts and talents. Wish she'd used the county help to address whatever pain fueled her drinking and its aftermath.

 

[oh_gal]

The timeline alone does not ring true for NG to bear responsibility for Toni's suicide attempt. She ran one show about it June 11. Toni went out drinking July 2, returned to her mother's house, and lit herself on fire. Three weeks later. That doesn't lend itself to NG's story being what broke her, or the final straw. Perhaps there'd be a little more argument to be made for that had she been watching NG's show, turned it off, then lit herself on fire. But not three weeks later. (Although that still would've been driven by many factors) People don't belatedly snap from a trigger, 3 weeks later.

If someone went drinking with her that night, or enabled it, even after her 2 DUIs and the death of her baby, they bear more responsibility as contributing than NG does.

IMO, the family is in pain, from the lose of Toni & the baby, Toni's drinking problem and her choices, and perhaps from any enabling deep in their hearts they feel they might have done, or any missed chances for intervention to save either one. Not that the family is responsible for Toni's choices. But that would lend itself more easily to trying to point to someone else as being responsible or playing a role in her death.

I wish Toni had made different choices, for her sake and many others'. She was created with a purpose and I'm sure had gifts and talents. Wish she'd used the county help to address whatever pain fueled her drinking and its aftermath.

Thank you, Seek, I was not aware of the timeline/dates, etc. I was going off of the title of the thread, only, and had not seen the NG episode, myself.

 

[believe09]

Ryan Jenkins committed suicide after NG interfered with the case. Had she let justice take it's course, it's very likely that he would have turned himself in (per discussions with his lawyer) and been prosecuted. NG was turning the public into a lynch mob, fearmongering and spreading wild rumour.

That sounds about right. Maybe she might want to reconsider re structuring her show when it comes to some of these cases.

 

[believe09]

So even if Nancy led a public stoning, she bears no responsibility since Mom was guilty anyway. Fair enough-we have a microcosm of the court of public opinion here. We judge here too.

I know I keep banging this drum, but where is the outrage regarding Dad's inaction? We should be frothing at the mouth-he let his son die too.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Perps kill themselves sometimes - even if they aren't featured on Nancy Grace. To say that Nancy is responsible for this woman's death is ludicrous in my opinion. The woman killed her baby, and she's responsible for killing herself as well.

 

[Gypsy Road]

These woman who have babies and then because of their horrible actions and decisions babies die,I have no sympathy for sorry.My heart goes out to the children and babies who should be alive.Sounds like her sister is after a lawsuit IMO.This woman IMO did not want to go to prison and just maybe realized that drinking or not she KILLED her child.Maybe being responsible for her babys death was why she took her life.Maybe I am jaded but I really do not feel bad for the mother at all or any family members who sat idly by and left this drunk with a baby and 5 other children.Nancy Grace is the only one who stands up for our children,she may be harsh but she is all we have.If you cause your childs demise.............Stay the heck away from the talk shows...................WTH is wrong with people today!IMO No way would someone set themselves on fire because of NG! Maybe she was drunk and went up after spilling her booze happens to drunks if she smoked.

Amen!

True story here. About 6 months ago my neighbor who was a mother and an alcoholic passed out in her bed while smoking. The mattress smoldered and burned her so badly the woman passed away a few days later in a burn center. Her children happened to be spending the night with their dad that night - and thank God for that, otherwise they might be dead too!

 

[oh_gal]

Perps kill themselves sometimes - even if they aren't featured on Nancy Grace. To say that Nancy is responsible for this woman's death is ludicrous in my opinion. The woman killed her baby, and she's responsible for killing herself as well.

Who is saying that NG is wholly responsible for her death, which is what this post implies? IMO, there's a BIG difference between "NG is responsible for her death," and "NG's comments could have played a role in her death."

Do none of us, then, bear any personal responsibility for how we conduct ourselves or treat others? Is/are common courtesy, civility, basic manners or having a conscience dead?? We teach our children manners and tell them not to speak meanly or harshly to others, don't we? Even if it's warranted...what do we tell our kids? Do we tell them, "Have at it! Rip 'em apart!", or do we try to teach them to extend grace, courtesy, manners?

Yes, yes, yes, I know, this woman drank a bunch of vodka, then smothered her child (accidentially, as a result of her negligence). That was wrong, and horrible, and no one should ever do it. She, and she alone is to blame for her drinking. She, and her husband, both bear responsibilty for their child's death.

And we, as civilized human beings are responsible for how we treat others.

 

[wfgodot]

As carrion to jackals, so too human misery to those of mock virtue.

 

[jjenny]

Considering this woman was in a lot of trouble, anything could have contributed to her death. I don't like an idea of going around blaming everybody for this woman's choices with the idea that it could have "contributed to her death." In the end, I look at this woman's behavior and her own choices as responsible for leading to her demise.

 

[oh_gal]

Considering this woman was in a lot of trouble, anything could have contributed to her death. I don't like an idea of going around blaming everybody for this woman's choices with the idea that it could have "contributed to her death." In the end, I look at this woman's behavior and her own choices as responsible for leading to her demise.

Since (hopefully)none of us have ever been, nor ever will be in this particular situation, let me offer the following example, which may be easier to relate to. I am attempting to show the correlation between how one person's actions may cause another person's actions. Hopefully, this little into explanation makes my analogy easier to understand:


You are driving down a busy expressway. You accidentially cut off a driver you've just passed by changing lanes (your fault, through your negligence). That driver then pulls out a gun, waves it around towards you. You can tell that that driver is royally p!ssed at you. Flustered, you lose control of your car and crash into a guardrail. Did the other driver's actions contribute to your accident, or not?