Foreclosed Homeowner Takes Life; Reportedly Faxed Note Informing Mortgage Lender Of Intent

In Taunton, Massachusetts, WHDH-TV Channel 7 reports:

• A woman took her own life after she lost her home to foreclosure. Carlene Balderrama, 53, reportedly fax her mortgage company a letter telling them that when they showed up to foreclose on the home, they would find her dead. Police say that a suicide note, which was left inside of the home, told family members to take the insurance money and pay off the debt.

For more, see Woman takes her own life after home foreclosed.

See also:

• ABC News: Foreclosure-Related Suicide: Sign of the Times? (Massachusetts Woman's Suicide Followed Foreclosure),
• The Boston Globe: The anguish of foreclosure (Fearing sale of house, woman kills herself before the auction).

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Elderly Homeowner In Foreclosure Allegedly Victimized By Predatory Loan Commits Suicide

In East Palestine, Ohio, The Youngstown Vindicator reports:

• A 72-year-old woman who feared she’d lose her home to foreclosure hanged herself to death, the family lawyer said. [She] died the morning of Jan. 24 at her home, just days after receiving her second summons and foreclosure complaint from her mortgage lender, said Atty. Robert B. Holman of Bedford.

***

• The foreclosure complaint was filed Jan. 6 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court by Chase Home Finance in Columbus. [...] In a 31-page counterclaim lawsuit,(1) Holman names as third-party defendants Lake Erie Title Agency in Dayton, North Coast Capital Funding in Cuyahoga Falls and SML Corporation, a real estate agency in Hudson, Ohio.

For more, see Family says suicide caused by foreclosure action (Lawyer: Couple in their 70s and on fixed income was given a 30-year, $160,000 loan).

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide.

(1) Holman alleges in the lawsuit filed on behalf of the [homeowners] that [they] were the victims of a predatory lending scheme. He said the bank, mortgage company and title insurance company used an inflated appraisal of $200,000 to create an over-inflated mortgage loan, thereby putting [them] on the path to financial ruin. He said the property [...] had a market value of $80,000. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Homeowner Facing Foreclosure Commits Suicide By Setting Home Ablaze, Say Cops

In Elk River, Minnesota, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported last month:

• The man who died when his Elk River house burned set the fire on purpose in what police said [...] was a rare manner of suicide. Corey R. Cook, 43, used a flammable liquid to start the fire [...], police said. Police said Cook's home was under foreclosure. He died of smoke inhalation, police said. No one else was in the home at the time.

Source: Man who died after setting house on fire is ID'd; home was under foreclosure.

See also, Elk River fire claims man’s life (Elk River Star News).

For other stories on fires & foreclosures, go here and go here.

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta foreclosure arson yak

Indiana Couple Facing Foreclosure Involved In Murder-Suicide

In Jasper, Indiana, WRTV Channel 6 (Indainapolis) reports:

• A house foreclosure may have led to a homicide-suicide of a husband and wife in southern Indiana. Police said [the homeowners] were found dead in their home Monday night of gunshot wounds. Investigators said they think [the wife] shot her husband and then turned the gun on herself. A Dubois Circuit Court judgment and decree of foreclosure on the couple's house was filed earlier this year and was recently placed on their front door.

Source: Foreclosure May Have Led To Homicide-Suicide (Couple Found Dead In Home Monday).

See also, Slayings astonish small town (Neighbor describes couple as friendly).

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Firefighters Find Homeowner In Foreclosure With Gunshot Wound While Responding To House Fire; Detectives Are Treating Case As A Possible Suicide

In Pasadena, California, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports:

• A Pasadena woman distraught over the pending foreclosure of her home may have lit her house on fire and killed herself, police said. Neighbors reported smoke coming from a home in the 1000 block of North Wilson Avenue shortly before 5 a.m. Monday morning. Firefighters arrived and found [the homeowner], 53, in her bed suffering from a gunshot wound. "Some of the neighbors said she was going to be evicted this weekend," said Lt. John Dewar, the detective investigating the case. "We're looking at this as possibly a reason this tragedy occurred."

For the story, see Woman distraught by foreclosure may have killed self, burned home.

See also, Los Angeles Times: Pasadena woman facing eviction may have killed herself.

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Fort Lauderdale SWAT Team Finds Homeowner In Foreclosure Dead From Self-Inflicted Gunshot

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports:

• Police officers and a SWAT team surrounded a Coral Ridge house Thursday night to investigate a weapons complaint and later found the homeowner dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said. For more than five hours, police descended on the neighborhood. They attempted to get the man to come out of the house in the 2100 block of Northeast 54th Court, but to no avail, said Sgt. Frank Sousa, Fort Lauderdale police spokesman. After firing gas canisters into the home, the SWAT team went inside and found the man dead at about 11:15 p.m., Sousa said. Police identified the man as Steven R. Decker, 44.

• County records list Decker as the owner of at least a dozen properties in the Fort Lauderdale area. At least two of them, including the Coral Ridge house, went into foreclosure recently, court records show. On Thursday, Decker received a notice that the Coral Ridge house was to be sold next month at an auction for foreclosed properties, according to the records.

For the story, see Police: Fort Lauderdale man shot himself inside home (SWAT team sent to house over weapons complaint).

In a related story, see ABC News / USA Today: Foreclosures Take an Emotional Toll on Homeowners (Stress, Depression, Suicide Can Accompany the Loss of a Home).

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide.

Go here for other posts on Police stories involving homes in foreclosure. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta SheriffDeputiesForeclosureAlpha

Elderly Couple Facing Foreclosure Commits Suicide

In Prineville, Oregon, the Statesman Journal reports:

• [Last week], Crook County sheriff’s deputies went to the home east of Prineville after neighbors called with concerns that they were not answering their door, and their dogs were missing. They walked up the driveway and smelled gas. Inside the attached locked garage, a 1981 Cadillac Eldorado sat empty, its engine running. Then they entered the house. They found the bodies of Raymond Donaca, 71, and three golden retrievers. Upstairs they discovered the bodies of Deanna Donaca, 69, and a fourth dog. [...] Court records show that the couple lost the home in Central Oregon this summer following a court battle after more than a decade of financial trouble.

For more, see Oregon couple facing foreclosure commits suicide (if link expired, try here).

See also, KTVZ-TV Channel 21 reports:

• Crook County couple fear losing home, kill selves (Four dogs also die as car left running; fumes sicken deputies),
• Prineville couple's suicide offers tragic lessons.

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide.

Go here for other posts on Police stories involving homes in foreclosure. SheriffDeputiesForeclosureAlpha suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Cops Suspect Murder-Suicide In Case Of Homeowners In Foreclosure

In Romeoville, Illinois, The Herald News reports:

• Police are investigating the possible murder-suicide of a wife and husband found dead in their home Wednesday night. [...] Police were called to the house -- which was in foreclosure and had been sold at auction -- shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday by the couple's son, who said he had been trying to contact his parents for the past couple of days. [...] A judgment for foreclosure on the [...] home was entered Feb. 11, 2008, according to court records. It has been sold at auction, with a court date of Aug. 20 to confirm the sale, according to the Will County Circuit Clerk's office.

For more, see Police: Deaths may be murder-suicide (A Married Couple Were Found Dead In Their Romeoville Home Wednesday Night, Victims Of Gunshot Wounds).

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide.

Go here for other posts on police incidents at foreclosed homes. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta SheriffDeputiesForeclosureAlpha

Ohio Feds Indict Cincinnati Cop In Alleged Sale Leaseback, Foreclosure Rescue Straw Buyer Scam; Allegedly Steals $200K Insurance Benefits From Widow

In Cincinnati, Ohio, WLWT-TV Channel 5 reports:

• A federal grand jury indicted a Cincinnati police officer Thursday on fraud and other charges in connection with an alleged foreclosure scheme. Adrian Mitchell is accused of forging signatures, falsifying documents and taking out fraudulent loans for several hundred thousand. An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for Mitchell, who investigators said preyed on homeowners facing foreclosure.

• According to authorities, Mitchell bought the homes and rented them back to the previous owners. In one case, investigators said, Mitchell attempted to evict a Springfield Township couple from their home after they fell behind on their rent. Mitchell discovered the husband had hanged himself in the home’s basement and then forged life insurance documents, investigators said, which allowed him to collect nearly $200,000 in benefits intended for the man’s widow.

Source: Police Officer Indicted On Federal Fraud Charges.

See also:

• The Cincinnati Enquirer: Accused cop pleads not guilty (Suicide victim's insurance part of alleged take),
• WKRC-TV Channel 12: Cincinnati Officer Pleads Not Guilty.

To view the federal grand jury charges, see Indictment - U.S. v. Mitchell.

For story update (2-12-09), see Feds Drop Most Charges Against Cincy Cop/Foreclosure Rescue Operator Accused Of Preying On People Facing Foreclosure.

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Ex-Homeowner Lobs Molotov Cocktails At Cops Before Taking His Own Life; Refused To Vacate Home Lost In Foreclosure

In Houston, Texas, the Houston Chronicle reports:

• A 12-hour standoff ended [last week] with a north Houston man lobbing Molotov cocktails at Houston Police before taking his own life rather than vacate a home he'd lost to foreclosure. James Hahn, a chemist, had told police he would not be taken from the home alive, said Capt. Bruce Williams, an HPD spokesman. "'You know what I do for a living and you know what I am capable of,'" said Williams, recalling one of the conversations police had with the man on Wednesday.

• It would appear that Hahn had prepared for the standoff. He had nailed plywood over windows and doors and stuffed insulation into cracks. A cache of weapons and explosive devices were found in the home, along with a gas mask, chemical suit similar to those worn by Haz-Mat crew members. Williams said it explained why Hahn didn't vacate the house after police shot tear gas into the residence on three separate occasions in the hopes of bringing the standoff to an end. Williams said Hahn was recently divorced, depressed and struggled with financial problems and drug addiction.

For more, see Lengthy standoff ends in Spring with man's suicide (if link expires, try here).

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide.

Go here for other posts on Police stories involving homes in foreclosure. SheriffDeputiesForeclosureAlpha suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Murder/Suicide/Arson Cases Involving Arizona, Michigan Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

In Phoenix, Arizona, The Arizona Republic reports:

• Phoenix police records released Tuesday outline how a man struggling with financial problems "killed the love of his life," set fire to the couple's home and slit his wrists before investigators responded.

• Daniel Miller, 49, was found dead July 28, his body wedged between a wall and a mattress in his bedroom, after a fire was reported at his house in a quiet cul-de-sac near Loop 101 and 35th Avenue. His wife, Kimberly Miller, 51, was found dead in a separate bedroom at the couple's home in the 3600 block of West Wahalla Lane. Police closed the case, ruling Kimberly Miller was the victim of a domestic-violence homicide. According to investigative documents, Daniel Miller sent a dark e-mail to his sister in Missouri, claiming that a pending foreclosure and family squabble over his late father's estate pushed him to madness.

• Daniel Miller's wrists were cut with a folding straight razor, which was found near his body in the master bedroom. An accelerant-sniffing arson dog also located evidence on his shoes and on one his hand.

For more, see Man killed wife, died in house fire, police say.

-----------------

In Bay City, Michigan, a blog on The Bay City Times reports:

• [A]ccording to Bay City Police, who wrapped up their investigation on Tuesday, David Hetzel committed a series of crimes Saturday morning that left his wife and himself dead and their home [from which they were being evicted] at 406 N. Farragut St. destroyed by fire. [...] The Hetzels had lost their home to foreclosure and also had filed for bankruptcy protection but did not follow through with the Chapter 13 proceedings.

For more, see Police: Bay City couple victims of murder-suicide.

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Foreclosed Homeowner Commits Suicide As Sheriff's Deputy Stood Outside Home About To Carry Out Eviction

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, The Gazette reports:

• Wayne "Mike" Anderson knew what the knock at the door of his Stratmoor Valley home meant: He was being evicted. He wasn't ready to leave. Unemployed, awash in debt and hiding an October foreclosure from loved ones, the 55-year-old shot himself Wednesday morning as a sheriff's deputy stood outside. His live-in girlfriend was at work. She never knew they were being forced out, friends said.

***

• Friends believe Anderson, who they say used to work as a surgical nurse, began sliding into depression after losing his job about two years ago. Unable to find work in his field, Anderson turned to the same risky borrowing that helped plunge the country into a foreclosure crisis, borrowing against the modest split-level home [...] his parents bought in 1969 and left him in their will.

For more, see Facing eviction, a man killed himself while a deputy stood at door.

Go here and go here for other posts on police incidents during home evictions.

Go here for other posts on evictions and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta DeputyEvictionTheta

Word Of 10 Day Stay Comes Too Late; Woman Commits Suicide As Sheriff's Deputies Arrive At Foreclosed Home To Carry Out Eviction

In Sevierville, Tennessee, WVLT-TV Channel 8 reports:

• A Sevierville woman apparently committed suicide as Sevier County Sheriff's deputies arrived to evict her family from their home, but the family attorney and relatives are asking a big question. Should deputies have been at the home at all?

• Sevierville police say they went to the home of Jimmy and Pamela Ross on Monday to assist Sheriff's deputies in an eviction, but court documents shows a judge just Monday morning had given the Ross' at least 10 more days before they had to get out.

***

• [The family's attorney Herb] Moncier says Ross' husband Jimmie was in court Monday morning fighting his foreclosure. Moncier says while Ross was there, Sevier County deputies were arriving at Ross's Lexington Place home. But Moncier says, "It appears clear from that file that there was not a writ of possession." In fact, court documents show, at the hearing Sevier County Judge Jeff Rader gave Ross 10 days more to appeal his case.

For more, see Moncier representing family after eviction led to apparent suicide in Sevier Co. (read story) (watch WVLT-TV video report).

Go here for other posts on police incidents at foreclosed homes.

Go here for other posts on foreclosures and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta SheriffDeputiesForeclosureAlpha

Wife Survives Failed Attempted Double Suicide, Arson Fire Of Home Lost In Foreclosure; Now Faces Charges In Death Of Husband

In Clark County, Washington, The Columbian reports:

• A former Sifton woman faces an arson charge in connection to a two-alarm house fire that killed her husband nearly two years ago. Prosecutors filed a first-degree arson charge against Sandra J. Cooper, 62, last week in connection to the May 31, 2007, fire.

***

• Cooper is believed to have aided her husband, Allen F. Cooper, 67, in starting the fire that destroyed their rental house [...] according to court documents. Allen Cooper died a day later from smoke inhalation, while Sandra Cooper recovered from her injuries and was eventually discharged from Providence Portland Medical Center. The Coopers had lost the house through foreclosure but had been allowed to rent it back, said Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Fairgrieve.

• Sandra Cooper had given written notice that she and her husband would be vacating the house May 31. According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Fairgrieve, the couple were in financial trouble and weren’t working. At some point, Allen Cooper told his wife "he was going to burn the damn house down with him in it," according to the affidavit.

• The night before the fire, Sandra Cooper confronted her husband about a gasoline odor. He told her he had poured gasoline on furniture. She then went to the garage, took a can of gasoline and allegedly poured it over two antique automobiles, the affidavit said. "She told detectives that she then went back upstairs to be with Al and that she took a series of medications," Fairgrieve wrote in the affidavit. Firefighters found the couple unconscious upstairs in their home just before 5 a.m.

***

• Fairgrieve said detectives had enough physical evidence to deem it arson, but at first lacked suspects. After Sandra Cooper recuperated from her injuries several months later, she told investigators what happened.

For the story, see Woman faces charge in 2007 fire (She allegedly set it with husband, who died from injuries).

For earlier story, see Washington Authorities Investigating Fire Of Home Involved In Foreclosure; Arson Suspected. ForeclosureHomeVacantBeta suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta

Another Suicide As Cops Attempt To Serve Eviction Papers

In Blount County, Tennessee, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports:

• A Blount County man is dead this [week] from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, fired as officers attempted to serve a writ of possession on his house, Sheriff Jim Berrong said. Berrong said it was not a foreclosure and that the paperwork was "basically an eviction notice."

For the story, see Sheriff: Man kills self as officers attempt to serve eviction papers.

Go here and go here for other posts on police incidents during home evictions.

Go here for other posts on evictions and suicide. suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta DeputyEvictionTheta