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Pasco 9-Year-Old's Death Thought To Be Suicide

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By LISA A. DAVIS, ldavis@tampatrib.com

and DONNA KOEHN, dkoehn@tampatrib.com

Published: November 25, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Efrem Tyree was only 9 years old, the new kid at a Pasco County charter school.

After dinner with his mother and younger sister Saturday, Efrem's mom offered maternal advice: Put some lotion on after your bath.

Minutes later, Jacqueline Tyree found her son hanging in a closet.

Efrem's apparent suicide has left experts and law enforcement officials searching for explanations. Because the statistical facts are this: 9-year-olds rarely take their own lives.

"A suicide in someone that young is extremely, extremely rare," said Jeff Bridge, an epidemiologist who specializes in youth suicide research. "This is not something that is well-studied. We don't know a lot about it."

In 2005, only two out of 32,637 suicides nationwide were younger than 10, said Bridge, of the Research Institute at National Children's Hospital in Ohio.

"In a 9-year-old, you wonder how suicidal feelings would manifest themselves — probably in extreme irritability."

Pasco sheriff's detectives are investigating Efrem's death, but a spokesman said "there's nothing suspicious or foul play suspected."

The Pasco-Pinellas Medical Examiner's Office is awaiting toxicology reports before making a final determination of exactly how he died. The reports could take weeks.

For someone so young to commit suicide is unusual, sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said Monday.

"I don't recall anyone that young," he said.

Thomas Mueller of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay knows of only one suicide involving someone younger than 10 in Florida, which occurred in 2001.

"Suicidal thoughts are going to be a lot harder to see in younger kids," Mueller said. "They don't express things as well as an older child. I would think an act of this sort would be very impulsive.

"Usually kids who are 9 use imaginary play to help them escape from bad stuff," he said.

"Unfortunately, it's a trend that suicide is happening at younger and younger ages," Mueller said. "Back in the 1950s, all you saw on TV was 'Leave it to Beaver.' Now there's 'CSI' and all kinds of crime shows. A young kid can pick up on things."

According to neighbors and sheriff's office reports, Efrem and his family moved to the River Ridge subdivision from Fort Myers a few months ago. His parents had separated and Efrem lived with his mother, a 44-year-old social worker, and his 7-year-old sister.

Jacqueline Tyree told deputies she and her son had argued a lot lately because of trouble at school. On Saturday, one of Efrem's teachers at Athenian Academy of Pasco called to discuss his performance, although Tyree said that didn't lead to an argument with her son.

She told deputies her son never mentioned suicidal thoughts, although he had "been depressed lately because he was having a hard time at school, both academically and socially."

On Saturday night, neighbors followed Tyree's cries into Efrem's bedroom.

Tim O'Shaughnessy said he took over CPR from Tyree until paramedics arrived.

"Please don't take my baby," Tyree sobbed.

Efrem was taken to Morton Plant North Bay Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

O'Shaughnessy's wife, Billee, baby-sat a few times for Efrem and his sister, Wynter. The couple saw the siblings playing outside and sometimes their 7-year-old son, Clayton, joined in.

"Efrem was an awesome kid," Tim O'Shaughnessy said. "He was extremely smart.

"Efrem was just very kind, but he took everything personally," he said.

As deputies cordoned off the Tyree home Saturday, O'Shaughnessy said, Wynter peeked out the window and told him she was scared. She then asked if she could make her brother a get-well-soon card. And she did.

Reporter Ronnie Blair and researcher Michael Messano contributed to this report. Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083. Reporter Donna Koehn can be reached at (813) 259-8264.

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