Humm, Deborah Lee
Deceased
Deborah Lee Humm
Demographics
54y, female
Date of death
2013-05-14
Finding date
2014-05-29
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained in fall from height
AI-generated summary
Ms Deborah Lee Humm, 54, died by suicide on 14 May 2013 after jumping from a fourth-floor balcony at a Cairns hotel. She was highly intoxicated (BAC 0.204%) and experiencing significant distress about upcoming eye surgery that had gone wrong, financial worries, and relationship difficulties. She had been taking antidepressants previously but had stopped them. While family and friends did not believe her suicidal, her son expressed serious concerns about her mental state on the day of death. The coroner found she intentionally jumped, ruling out accident or homicide. Clinical lessons include recognising that acute crisis combined with high intoxication, unmanaged depression, and psychosocial stressors can create immediate suicide risk even in those not previously identified as suicidal.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Acute psychological distress related to failed eye surgery and vision loss
- Financial concerns and worry about job security
- Relationship difficulties and concerns about partner's infidelity
- History of depression and previous suicide attempt (1999)
- Discontinuation of antidepressant medication
- High alcohol intoxication (BAC 0.204%)
- Argument with boyfriend in the hours before death
- Lack of sleep and poor eating in days preceding death
Full text
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