Nancy Grace Interview Contributed To Melinda Duckett Suicide, Professor Says

OCALA, Fla. — A Harvard professor says CNN Headline News host Nancy Grace's relentless questioning of a Florida mother three years ago contributed to her suicide, according to a filing in the family's wrongful death case.

Grace launched aggressive nightly coverage of 2-year-old Trenton Duckett's case shortly after he disappeared in 2006, usually with a collection of analysts. When the boy's mother, Melinda Duckett, appeared by telephone two weeks into the case, speculation was beginning to narrow on her possible involvement.

Dr. Harold J. Bursztajn, a clinical professor of psychiatry, wrote in a filing this week. that Grace "struck a highly accusatory tone."

The professor saw "a distraught young woman who is subject to repeated and increasingly sharp questioning by a hostile interviewer who displays increasing suspicion and anger towards Ms. Duckett."

The next day, the 21-year-old Duckett shot herself in the head.

"Her apparently unanticipated public humiliation on the nationally televised program in question was a substantial contributing cause of her suicide," Bursztajn wrote.

The family claims Grace's questioning, along with the network's decision to air the pre-taped interview the day Duckett committed suicide, inflicted severe emotional distress.

Grace and the network have denied any involvement in the suicide, and a CNN spokeswoman declined comment on the filing.

Trenton has still not been found, and Duckett is the only suspect.

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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com

Comments

[nkd]

06:05 PM on 01/27/2010

A local child (Mansfield, OH) was taken out of state by her Mother and her boyfriend, a pedophile whom the mother helped escape from a halfway house. Nancy Grace covered the case everynight until the child was found in California. Each night she interviewed the child's grandmother and praised her for being a wonderful, loving woman who wanted to take that child to raise.

Shortly ( a couple of months) after the child was found grandma was arrested for dealing drugs. Her son has been sent back to prison for assisting in the escape. Just two weeks ago a local judge decided that NO member of the child's family should have custody of her and she should remmain with her foster parents.

Didn't hear Nancy Grace clarify the Grandmother's character from wonderful woman to accused drug dealer.

[BrickSykes]

02:59 PM on 01/27/2010

I don't know any of the watchers of Ms. Grace's show so I wonder what kind of minds seem to thrive on her brand of 'Talk Show Hostessing.' The few times I've glimpsed her giving one of her serially impassioned lectures, I've found it easy to switch channels. She is disgusting to me and I can't imagine what kind of 'home life' she must have. Like the man said, "It takes all kinds of people to make a world, and YOU Ain't One!!"

Brick

[Nancyjpt]

06:14 PM on 12/15/2009

Nancy Grace's show is far from a quality production.

It's like watching television to suffer: through Nancy's tirades and hysterical screeching urgency delivered with that weird re-engineered face with the false eyelashes and the 1973 bleached out hairdo sprayed into place. Did she live through the 90's like the rest of us? You wouldn't know it. Get a stylist lady.

You want to call her up and tell her to take some medication to calm down.

Crime is disgusting enough. The public does not need Nancy Grace to talk and talk about what did or might have or didn't happen. It is all about her anger. So what? She adds no value. At all.

It's enough to make me want to change my name.

[snapshot1940]

07:27 PM on 12/10/2009

She is as guilty of Melinda Duckett's death as if she pulled the trigger herself.

[4KixAfter6]

05:11 AM on 12/09/2009

Nancy DisGrace

[SweetTart]

02:42 AM on 12/09/2009

I hope the family is awarded a huge sum in punitive damages and that Nancy Grace has to pay that out of her own pocket.

[jtbreeze94]

01:25 AM on 12/09/2009

I really think her and O'reilly would be the perfect match for each other.

[claytongrayum]

10:54 PM on 12/08/2009

This lady has let the studio lights go o her head. If she isn't yelling that means she went to commercial.

[mykebee]

09:18 PM on 12/08/2009

I can't wait for Nancy's interview with Tiger.

[OrangeSalad]

06:34 PM on 12/08/2009

saw her once, years ago when she was a talking head on someone else's show. I watched that unthinking, shrieking fool shouting down someone else for about a minute and moved on, quickly. Unfortunately Nancy Grace is breeding so there will be a Nancy, jr. in our future.

[fabricnthreads]

06:05 PM on 12/08/2009

I don't see how this can be proven or disproven.

When words like "apparently" are used by professionals to describe their opinion of what they see, it is subjective, conjecture, and not a provable fact.

Civil liability is easier to prove than criminal intent, but this is a stretch. Even if Duckett said she was going to kill herself because she was humiliated, it is not the show's fault. No one forced her to commit suicide.

[jcd8822]

04:36 PM on 12/08/2009

Like Lou Dobbs, we quit watching Nancy Grace ages ago. I just wish she would go away like he did. She is VERY irritating to listen to and watch. She is too much of a know it all who really does not know that much. That other screeching gal they have on later in the evening is also Persona non Grata in this home. When is CNN going to look at their ratings and wake up?

[fodel]

04:01 PM on 12/08/2009

She's on the wrong station.. she belongs on Fox

[CommonSenseMom]

03:21 PM on 12/08/2009

Nancy Grace viciously exploits other people's tragedies so she can make millions.

And our society pays her.

Disgusting.

[bensisco]

02:21 PM on 12/08/2009

Nancy Grace is a know-it-all, media bully. No one should watch her, and then maybe she'll go away.

[Maygressive]

03:34 PM on 12/08/2009

Agreed!!
Same for Palin.. I have boycotted any coverage of her at all and my life is better for it :)