Tennessee Woman Found in House Ten Months After Her Death

And now a little unhappy story. I think when we begin to sit around and moan about the petty things in life, we would do well to remember Ms. Sandra Lynn Coppedge, a 58-year old lady I heard about on the WMC Memphis news. Ms. Coppedge, who lived in Henry County, Tennessee, was found dead in her rural home ten months after her death. Although Ms. Coppedge had two sons and a daughter, apparently they did not stay in close contact., and no one seemed to realize that Ms. Coppedge had little contact with anyone. When the news reporter spoke with a neighbor living nearby, he said he thought she had moved, and it bothered him greatly that she took such a route when he had food available at his home.

You see Ms. Coppedge decided to kill herself by starvation. This once vital woman who held a good job and was active chose to end her life through a very gruesome method. Police reported that although she had a car parked in her yard and money in the bank, she stopped purchasing food and just waited. She detailed each day in a diary which investigators found upon her death. Sadder still, she gave no real insight in her diary her reasons to end her life.

Her diary entries began in January 1, 2009, and her last entry was May 25, 2009, apparently due to her weakened condition. She spoke of being weak and suffering from headaches, but still never asked assistance from anyone. She left a note with a key to her front door in an envelope taped to the front door of her house where a son checking on the house came by and found it. The note only said that in the event someone came by, she would be too weak to answer the door.

The son told authorities that he thought she was at his brother's house. Inside of finding her gone from home, he found his mother's body lying on the bed and a note written by Ms. Coppedge saying she wished to be cremated and her ashes spread in the wind. I guess Ms. Coppedge just gave up.

I've thought a lot about Ms. Coppedge since I heard this story on the news. How sad that someone could come the point in life to feel no reason to go on. And also sad to me is the fact that she chose such a method as slowly starving herself. I think Ms. Coppedge must have been very lonely and filled with despair to take such a route.

I read several dated excerpts from her diary posted on the news station's website hoping to gain some insight into this lady's mind, but I found she mostly talked of the weather and about the dreariness of the days. Even from these small insignificant entries, I felt her despair came through.

I think there's a lesson to be learned from Ms. Coppedge. We all have those feelings sometimes, especially when we feel betrayed or helpless. Hopefully, when we feel that way, there will be someone to comfort and protect us in spite of our discouragement. I think I will remember Ms. Coppedge for a long time. In doing so maybe I can someday keep someone else from possibly becoming a Ms. Coppedge.

Source:

WMCTV.com