OK - Stephanie Wilcoxson, 11, dies of methadone OD, Noble, 20 Dec 2009

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A year later: Investigation into Noble girl's death continues
The state medical examiner's office has backed off its conclusion that Stephanie Wilcoxson, 11, committed suicide in December 2009, by overdosing on methadone. The medical examiner now lists the manner of death as unknown.

NOBLE — Just days before Christmas 2009, an 11-year-old girl wearing a purple T-shirt with a butterfly design ingested enough methadone to cause her death.

A Christmas Eve autopsy concluded Stephanie Wilcoxson committed suicide.
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Stephanie was born May 12, 1998, to Darrell and Janice Wilcoxson, who had married in 1992. Stephanie grew up in Noble, a city of 5,900 people just south of Norman.

On July 3, 2005, Darrell Wilcoxson, 41, committed suicide in the family home. Stephanie was 7.

Both Janice and Darrell Wilcoxson had battled drug addiction, Don Wilcoxson said. After Darrell's death, Janice continued the struggle, using methadone to fight her addiction.
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Stephanie's body was decomposed and she was wearing a purple T-shirt with a “butterfly designed print on the front,” according to the autopsy report. Stephanie's death was caused by “acute methadone intoxication.”

When officers arrived, Janice Wilcoxson was “mentally disturbed” and said Stephanie had committed suicide, according to a Noble police report.
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“In September, the OSBI assured us it was still open — and that's all,” Kay Wilcoxson said.

Don Wilcoxson added: “We watch the news every night and there's so cotton-pickin' many deaths and suicides and murders and all this kind of stuff that we just don't know how they're treating ours.”

the rest, at
http://newsok.com/a-year-later-inve...article/3525169?custom_click=lead_story_title

Justice coming? Ah - gentle reader, it's in the OSBI's hands now, and followers of that OK agency can guarantee nothing, based on past performance or lack thereof.
 
Statistically speaking, it is more likely that a person who has had a family member complete suicide will themselves attempt. I have seen cases where as child as young as 6 has planned and then completed a suicide, however it is very rare. It is also possible that the child was just trying to self medicate like she had seen her parents do, but took too much for her 11 year old system. Either way, it is a tragedy that should not have happened!
 
Unfortunately, justice is seen in few and far between cases in OK. It's such a shame the way that office is being run. They toot their own horns so much they don't have time to do any real investigating. There are so many unsolved cases there. They seem to have no idea what they are doing or are simply not trying to solve these cases.
 
So the mother called the police days after her daughter died but she knew it was suicide? Things that make you say huh??????? This story isn't adding up for me. The calling it in days later says a lot!
 
I found this article. Not sure if it has already been posted. I haven't been able to open the links here but can search and read from there.

He said Janice cut her wrists following Stephanie’s death. She was treated at Norman Regional Hospital.

Kay Wilcoxson said Janice phoned her from the hospital on Dec. 27. Kay asked Janice how Stephanie died.

“She must have gotten into my medicine and took some of it,” Kay recalled Janice telling her.

Kay Wilcoxson said Janice told her Stephanie had been depressed.



http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x1175545796/Family-questions-granddaughter-s-death
 
:doh:What child that young would go straight to the methadone to kill herself? I don't know the stats on kids that young commiting suicide, but I'm betting taking taking methadone isn't one of the methods.

How much methadone did mom have? Were they take homes? Legal?

What recovering addict keps their methadone in the medicine closet? That's like breath oflife for recovering addicts.

Mom cut her wrists? I say she was going with her child, BUT wasn't that he*l bent. How many 'done pills were left? She'd know how many it would take to OD. So she cut her wrist?

Poor little girl. May she rest in peace and no I don't buy it.
 
to answer the q. in the OP header:

her mother killed her IMO - whether she actually forced her to take methadone is a moot point for me ...

poor kid never stood a chance
 
I honestly don't know on this one based on the info thus far. I wonder if mom was so used to hiding from pain and strife and day to day problems in her methadone, that she could process her daughter's suicide.

I think suicide is possible. I also think that a mother who has lived her life, hiding from unpleasant emotions, by using drugs to mask those feelings, may well have decided to get screwed up with her daughter and offer to indoctrinate her into "this will make it all go away" lifestyle.

This poor child. Such a lot of instability and tragedy in such a young life.

ETA either mom decided she needed a party buddy, or mom was oblivious to her daughter's pain. Either way - what a waste of a potential bright light in the world. I hate that the most. The waste.
 
It remains quite possible that the daughter did not know what Methadone was and just knew that mom took it, and maybe even how much, but didn't think that it would hurt her, then oops, I took too much.
 
This case has bothered me from the beginning..I remember when it was first reported.I am more disturbed that she lived with her daughters dead body for days.There wasn't a whole lot reported on this on our local news either.Having lived in Noble at one time, I DO NOT trust the police there.Right after we moved from there,the police accidently shot and killed a 5yr old boy while trying to shoot a snake out of a tree...
 
It remains quite possible that the daughter did not know what Methadone was and just knew that mom took it, and maybe even how much, but didn't think that it would hurt her, then oops, I took too much.

It is possible. My problem with the mom is that she said her daughter must have gotten into my medicine. IMO she is talking about the methadone. If she wasn't there to witness WHAT the little girl may have overdosed on then how would she know? When she found her daughter dead what led her to believe it was suicide? There are other family members who say this little girl was in no way depressed and looking forward to Christmas. And then, for the mom to correctly guess that she over dosed on methadone seems a little incriminating to me.
 
Forgive me if this was linked already. A poster delved into the mom's background. Apparently mom's sister had died as well as both parents and as we know her husband.

If she got take homes that was only weekly. This makes me wonder as mom slit her wrists but her baby girl OD'd on methadone. That would mean unless mom had kicked her addiction and was just saving up her pills she wanted her DD to go gently. I know that sounds awful. Or perhaps she was buying methadone outside the clinic?

Either way I can't see someone who is on methadone maintainance giving up her pills, and slitting her wrists. That is unless she had the plan to have poor little Stephanie to OD and then kill herself? I mean you'd want to kill yourself if you ran out of methadone.

Lingering question. Did Janice continue going to the clinic?


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20101219_11_A27_ULNSbS533626
 
It is possible. My problem with the mom is that she said her daughter must have gotten into my medicine. IMO she is talking about the methadone. If she wasn't there to witness WHAT the little girl may have overdosed on then how would she know? When she found her daughter dead what led her to believe it was suicide? There are other family members who say this little girl was in no way depressed and looking forward to Christmas. And then, for the mom to correctly guess that she over dosed on methadone seems a little incriminating to me.

Methadone addicts would know exactly how much they had or were supposed to still have in the bottle. Mom as an addict (possibly in recovery) could tolerate a much larger dose than an 11 year old non-addict.

Not saying she for sure did this to herself, because IDK but I think it's possible. Also possible she didn't realize it would kill her.

My younger sister OD'd twice on phenobarb and dilantin before she was 11 - the first time she should have died, it was not discovered until she could not wake up the next day, the second time she realized soon after - she screwed up and was taken to have her stomach pumped - both times she had some little tiff with my mom and thought "I'll show her."
 
Methadone addicts would know exactly how much they had or were supposed to still have in the bottle. Mom as an addict (possibly in recovery) could tolerate a much larger dose than an 11 year old non-addict.

Not saying she for sure did this to herself, because IDK but I think it's possible. Also possible she didn't realize it would kill her.

My younger sister OD'd twice on phenobarb and dilantin before she was 11 - the first time she should have died, it was not discovered until she could not wake up the next day, the second time she realized soon after - she screwed up and was taken to have her stomach pumped - both times she had some little tiff with my mom and thought "I'll show her."

I hadn't thought of her having a fight with her mom....very interesting look into another possiblity. Thanks for sharing that. Wish we knew more....instead of the mom saying she has been depressed for while and other family seeing her just before she died saying something else....just doesn't sound like a kid about to commit suicide although I do know sometimes there just aren't the signs. I know this. But the anger gives me a different look on this.
 
Almost everyone has some signs, but most people are really good at hiding them from people outside the immediate family. Most people who attempt or commit suicide do tell someone about it prior to doing so, but it is usually brushed off as someone making a joke or being overly dramatic.

If anyone wants to get really depressed they should read some of Edwin S. Shneidman's work. He is a pioneer in the study of suicidality.
 
I personally believe the mother was somehow complicit in her death, voluntarily or not.

That said, the fact that relatives say that she was in good spirits is almost irrelevant. A lot of people, prior to committing suicide, are in a great mood. Right after they do it, family members will say stuff like "But she was on the mend! She was joking and acting normal." It's because the doomed see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not much can bother you if you don't figure you'll have much to worry about in a few hours or days.

Eleven year-olds have killed themselves before. Kids are hitting puberty earlier and earlier and hormones combined with a bad background could lead to something like this. However, like another poster astutely pointed out: the mom didn't witness the suicide. "She MUST have..." That's quite an assumption, and it turned out to be correct. Incredibly suspect.
 
I think that you are talking about the "flight to health" that typically comes after a person has decided on suicide but has not yet attempted. They feel a big relief and try to enjoy the last little bit of time that they have left. It is very easy as a therapist or family member to get caught up in the "oh they are doing so good" part and miss the signs of a pending suicidal act. Good point, glad you brought it up!
 

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