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LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WFLA) – A Florida woman has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly planning and failing to commit suicide with her family, police announced Monday.
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According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, 59-year-old Barbara Bates, her husband, 64-year-old Neil Bates, and their son planned a suicide pact after learning they would be evicted and become homeless.
“Due to an impending eviction that would leave the family homeless, a plan was made to commit suicide together before the eviction notice was received, and after consuming alcohol and dipping drugs to begin the process and lying in the master bed together, [Neil Bates] “I advised him that I would go first because I did not have the courage to harm my son,” the report said.
Detectives said the suspect told her her husband cut her throat with a box cutter, but the woman thought his cut wasn’t deep enough, so she made the cut deeper. She also cut her wrists, the report said.
She then slashed her son’s throat toward his larynx, the sheriff’s office said. During this time, the son began to panic and stated that he did not want to die, but that he was losing consciousness, detectives said.
She waited more than 40 minutes before cutting herself and calling 911 to ensure the family’s dog was taken care of, according to the arrest report.
“Barbara, who secured the bleeding dog in a separate bedroom and was met by responding officers, expressed frustration that law enforcement responded so efficiently that the family was not given significant time to complete the process,” the report said. “Barbara told Detective Younger that she still hoped the plan would succeed and showed no remorse for the injuries she had sustained.”
Detectives said the suspect said his son’s medical problems, unemployment and an eviction notice prompted him to commit suicide.
“Barbara explained that she recalled four times in the past few months where she had discussed plans for a mass suicide with the victims, and where the victims were said to have come to a consensus,” the arrest report said. “She stated that she used her cell phone to make internet inquiries regarding the amount required for an overdose.”
All three family members survived and were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Barbara Bates was arrested on two counts of attempted premeditated murder and one count of aggravated child abuse, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Neal Bates was also arrested for crimes against persons (aggravated abuse, elderly and disabled adults) and public order crimes (attempted, lifetime felonies) for his role in planning and authorizing a suicide pact, according to another sheriff’s office.
Note: Due to the graphic nature of Neal Bates’ mugshot, we have not included it in this article.
