Woman Kills Herself During Foreclosure Eviction
Bank officials knock on the door and set off a chain reaction that ends in a woman committing suicide
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 11:19 AM EST, Tue, Jun 30, 2009
In a tragic sign of how desperate situations are getting for some people in this economy, a Broward woman committed suicide Monday after she was about to be evicted from her home.
Bank officials and movers knocked on the woman's front door at around 1 p.m. to break the news that they had come to kick her out. The bank had apparently foreclosed on the home, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said.
Heather Newnam told the movers she would be right out and that she needed a moment to secure her dogs. She never came back out and SWAT teams arrived at the home to persuade the woman to come out. After three hours, SWAT team members gained access to the house, only to find Newnam dead on the floor from what BSO officials said was a single, self-inflicted gun shot wound.
Witnesses said they thought they heard a shot fired.
With unemployment rates at an all-time high nationwide, but especially in Florida, foreclosure filings have climbed and more people are losing a grip on their homes. Florida is second in the nation in foreclosures, with Miami-Dade and Broward leading the way.
Foreclosures are up nearly 90 percent in both counties compared to this time last year. In May, one in every 78 homes was in foreclosure, according to the Miami Herald. In Miami-Dade, one in every 86.
First Published: Jun 29, 2009 4:58 PM EST
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