Psychologist: Phinney may have committed suicide

Although the real cause of the death of American national Jesse Phinney is still under investigation, a Cebu-based psychologist sees a high possibility that the foreigner did commit suicide.

Dr. Mary June Delgado, a resident psychologist in Cebu City’s courts, said that Phinney might have suffered from severe depression when he was detained inside the stockade of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI -7) late last year.

“Depression can be triggered anytime sa tawo when something sa iyang feeling nawala niya or was taken from him. Maybe he felt na nawala iyang freedom and he was so worried that he was not in his own land,” said Delgado.

Delgado added that Phinney might have been so worried on what will happen to him especially that he had no family that could support and help him.
“”Mas taas ang grade sa iyang depression compared kung Filipino nga naa ra kas ato, napriso ka pwede raman ka manawag sa inyo nga tabangi ko diri,” Delgado said.

(He might have experienced a higher level of depression compared to a Filipino who is in his own country because a Filipino can easily call up his family and ask for help.)

She added that there are more cases of foreigners committing suicide because of their individualistic cultures.

Phinney, was found hanging by a belt inside the restroom of the NBI detention cell past midnight of December 5, 2017.

He was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) for taking custody of an 8-year-old girl in his apartment in Talisay City. Recovered inside his room were dolls and teddy bears clad in bikinis, cellular phones, camera, lenses, laptop, tablet and clothes for little girls.

While NBI-7 medico legal officer Dr. Rene Cam reported that Phinney died of asphyxia due to hanging, a US-based private pathologist, Dr. Elizabeth Laposata told an international news agency that she found marks in Phinney’s body that might indicate foul play.

Presently, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7) and the Commission on Human Rights are conducting a parallel investigation to determine the real cause of the American’s death.