Criminal Investigation Bureau officers and Penghu County police yesterday launched an investigation into the death of two people suspected of committing suicide by burning charcoal in their home.
Police said the bodies were those of 25-year-old Chen Yu-han (陳鈺涵) and her 59-year-old father, Chen Chun-hsi (陳春溪), who had sealed their windows and doors with tape, preventing air flow into their house in Penghu.
Chen Yu-han had been part of a group suicide attempt with four other female relatives — her mother, sister, aunt and cousin — on Jan. 6, police said. Four of the women died, with only Chen Yu-han surviving.
Photo: CNA
Police and the fire department yesterday broke into the residence and found charcoal residue and the two bodies, which were in a state of rigor mortis, indicating that some hours had passed since their deaths and the suspected suicide had taken place late the previous night or in the early morning hours.
Bureau investigators said there were indications that it was a planned suicide that had followed the same method used on Jan. 6.
A family member telephoned Chen Yu-han yesterday morning. When she did not answer, the relative asked a friend, surnamed Su (蘇), to check on the family.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
The deaths occurred in the same Magong City (馬公) home as the Jan. 6 group suicide.
Su said she found the door locked and received no response when she knocked.
She called the police and the fire department for help, she said.
The bodies were found in the second-floor rooms, officials said.
Police said that following the Jan. 6 incident, Chen Yu-han had received psychiatric help.
Local government health officials said they had checked on the family at their home in the past few months and had reported that they were both in “stable condition” without signs of abnormal behavior.
Help is freely available on the suicide prevention hotline (08) 0078-8995 and life advice hotline 1995, health authorities said in a statement.
No problem is too big to be solved and there are agencies and health professionals to provide help 24 hours a day, they said.
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