A teen was found dead after his mom sent him a text message asking him to pay rent for his bedroom.
The 18-year-old, Elliot Stapleton-Giddins, was discovered unresponsive in his bedroom by his mother, Tracy, who told an inquest she had recently asked him to pay for half of his phone bill.
According to a coroner in Milton Keynes, the boy allegedly received a text message from his mom prior to his death that read,
You need to pay $250 a month. The other rooms are $630 so it seems like a fair deal.
The teen had been in a happy relationship with his girlfriend, Lily Avirl, and worked as a chef at the time of his death.
Detectives from Thames Valley Police claim the text message from Stapleton-Giddins' mother had a profound impact on him.
According to the detectives,
Lily had been in text contact with him until 2am. Lily said he had been a bit upset about his mother's text but she had managed to bring him around.
Stapleton-Giddins had about $3,150 in his bank account at the time of his death, which he had plans to use for travel.
Ms. Stapleton-Giddins told the inquest,
I had not realized how much he was earning, but he was really working hard. It wasn't about the money though, it was about him being a bit more responsible. He had previously said he understood and that he had been waiting for the conversation to come up.
She also spoke about finding her son's body, saying,
I was totally shocked. I shouldn't have texted him, I should have spoken to him in person but I don't think that was the reason.
While Stapleton-Giddins had no record of mental health issues, he had allegedly complained about feeling low.
The teen's step-father revealed Stapleton-Giddins had previously dealt with bullying at his school, saying,
I think he was bullied and I remember him saying to me that the situation had changed and that he was now the bully to some people and he had felt very bad about that.
The case was recorded as an open verdict.
Coroner Elizabeth Gray stated,
It doesn't seem to me that there was anything of any significance from what you've told me. We all know about the text but there's nothing to suggest it was of any great significance. Because of all that evidence and nothing significant, in order for me to find that Elliot took his own life I would have to find he intended to do so beyond all reasonable doubt – but from what I have heard I don't have that evidence. We have a series of small incidents over time and a family reporting that generally Elliot was on an even keel. He was a sensitive person but nothing to suggest that this was intended on October 2. The conclusion that I will draw therefore is an open conclusion. We don't have evidence either way that Elliot intended to take his own life.
There are still many questions that remain about the tragic death of this teen.
Citations: Teenager, 18, found hanged after being asked to start paying £200 a month rent Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/01/25/teenager-18-found-hanged-after-being-asked-to-start-paying-200-a-month-rent-6404191/#ixzz4Wmul1wO9 (Metro)
