A 57-year-old grandmother got up this morning and did her usual chores after which she locked herself in a room and hung herself.
It's the last thing the family of this retired nurse expected, but relatives told us this evening that they've come to terms with it. Grandson Herbert Wiltshire says he became alarmed when around 7 he couldn't find her, and when he did, he saw his grandmother hanging by a rope from a beam in an abandoned room.
Herbert Wiltshire, Found Grandmother Hanging
"When the door opened I went in there and I turned where the bathroom was and I saw her body hanging there with like one foot on the ladder. And then I ran out because of panic and I said granny hanged herself and things like that. And I could recall shouting to my stepfather telling him to cut her down and he told me he can't do it because she is too heavy and I did like you know an abdominal thrust and I lift her up that way. When I laid her down I thought I still had time to do CPR or something like that but the rope was too tight around her neck and she had already died because blood was already coming out of her nose and mouth and it was on her blouse and like her tongue was almost hanging out."
Keith Swift,
Can you think of any reason why your grandmother would kill herself?
Herbert Wiltshire,
"Like speaking of right now I cannot think of none because just last night I was right there sick and she was there taking care of me telling me to take my medication and things like that. And then when she got up this morning she didn't give any signs or nothing like that; she was just nice, cool, and calm like her usual self…she even washed her clothes and everything."
Keith Swift,
You believe she killed herself?
Herbert Wiltshire,
"Yes because first of all the door was locked and it was only her inside and no one was on our property and this neighborhood isn't known for crime or nothing like that."
"Personally to me I am still in shock because I still cant believe it actually happened. When my other relatives are talking about it and trying to make funeral arrangements I am just like thinking to myself did this actually happen or did I imagine it or something. That is the way I am feeling right now because I don't think reality has stepped in on me as yet and say it happened."
Police say they do not suspect foul play and while there was initial doubt, the death has been ruled a suicide. Mary Chavez leaves behind two kids and two grand children.