Why would a 9-year-old kill himself? It sounds unthinkable, but that appears to be what happened this weekend in Cotton tree village. 9-year-old standard three student Manuel Estrada was found hanging from a beam in his parents' bedroom on Saturday evening. And while it has all appearances of suicide, the case is so unusual that police investigators have not confirmed that it is. But, the family, no matter how much they disbelieve the circumstances of their son's shocking end, say they can only come to that conclusion. Alfonso Noble visited the home and spoke to the boy's father, David Estrada who said there was no reason for his son to kill himself.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
9-year-old Manuel Estrada lived here with 7 other family members in this two-bedroom house on a village back road. Inside his father, David Estrada held the length of cloth that is tied across the beam and used to hang a mosquito net above the bed. His 9-year-old son hung himself with this same strand of cloth on Saturday evening. The fabric was tied around the child's neck with a basic knot. His father recounted what happened to his son on Saturday evening. He says that Manuel went into the bedroom to look for clothes to go and play football and that was the last time he was seen alive. It was not until one of his younger brothers went into the room that he was found hanging.
David Estada Father
"I saw him go to bathe and he told me he was going to play football. So when he was finished, I didn't see him come in or anything, but I told the other one (son) to go to his aunty to get something for me. When he came back he went into the room and was changing his clothes because he didn't have on a shirt. So he went and screamed for me and when I went to check, that's when I saw it. I just jumped on the bed and grabbed the thing and popped it in a hurry. Then I ran and hollered for Mr. Taylor and we rushed him to the hospital where the doctor said he was dead.
I had told him to go his aunty and he went to do something for me at his aunty and then he came back. But then I come and laid down in the hammock watching the game. But he opened the door and went inside and I heard the scream. When he screamed I flew inside and I asked what was the problem and he said Manuel hanged himself.
When I went his brother had him (Manuel) hold like this and he was screaming. So I flew in there and he told me he (Manuel) was kneeled down with the thing around his neck. So he screamed for me but when I reached there I only grabbed the thing and loosed it quick and bring him out and hollered for my neighbor to give me assistance. When we reached the hospital the doctor said he was dead."
Thinking about it today Estrada doubts that his son would have wanted to take his life. He however does believe that the boy may have been playing with the cloth and for some reason tied the cloth around his neck.
David Estrada,
"He didn't do things like that. Never."
Alfonso Noble,
You didn't scold him or anything?
David Estrada,
"No because we came from the farm, a lot of us were together, we came from the farm and I told them we won't work whole day, we'll just do a little bit, we'll go home and rest because it was Saturday and we didn't have to kill ourselves. So we headed home and while walking on the road he came and talked to me. When he reached here he only told me he was going to bathe and thing. So he went to bathe and after that the little boy hollered for me. I never expected this. I don't know why he put that around his neck because he never played like that or think like that."
Alfonso Noble,
You think on this day he was playing around with this?
David Estrada,
"Maybe he was playing with that string and put it around his neck or what I don't know. I don't know why though because he never did those things. No one scolded him so that's why I think he went to play on that thing and either he wrapped it around his neck and he got frightened when the thing happened to him or something like that. I don't know. I don't know what happened."
And with that bitter sense of not knowing the family is now remembering Manuel who was regarded as the happiest in the family.
David Estrada,
"He was always happy. He always happy and he is somebody who hardly eats home. He would always go to Mr. Wade's house to play Nintendo. So I wasn't paying it any attention because he came and told me he was going to play football and I know he is always busy. It's hard because that is the best kid I had. He is the one who always kept me lively. When I'm at home he is the one who would give his mother massages. His mother would ask him and he would do it. He learnt it and he did it. Sometimes I lie down in the hammock and he would ticklish me. Everybody liked him because he always made people laugh. He was the only one."
Police investigators say they cannot close their investigation until a post mortem determines the cause of death, and discloses the young man's physical condition. This apparent suicide comes three weeks after a 12 year old in a Toledo village shot himself in the head.
