Post mortem examination revealed his cause of death was due to multiple injuries from being struck by a train. A toxicology report showed traces of alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on December 3, 2021. It has since been updated.
Trigger Warning: This story contains details of abuse and suicide that may be disturbing to readers.
Childhood trauma can haunt you long after you believe you have healed. Tragically, this was the case for 17-year-old Jamie McKitten from County Durham, England, who witnessed his dad sexually abuse and murder his mom when he was just a 4-year-old boy. Nearly 13 years later, Jamie walked in front of a train because he "wanted to be with his mum."
Jamie, who hid in the bedroom while bearing witness to his mother's death, missed her as he grew older. "He would say how much he wanted to be with her and would cry at night, he couldn't remember the sound of his mother's voice," stated his maternal grandmother, Shelley, who took him in after his mom's death.
Though his father, Stuart Cummings, was jailed for life for the murder, the incident left a profound impact on young Jamie. He was diagnosed with PSTD when he was 12 and though not diagnosed formally, it is believed he had ADHD, too, Chronicle Live reported.
To those who knew him, Jamie McKitten was a loving lad who had a "twinkle in his eye"https://t.co/Y2cpFqAdQU
— The Chronicle (@ChronicleLive) April 3, 2021
"For the first year, Jamie received counseling from Barnado's and was appointed a social worker who he never met and because of this Jamie was left out by social services in those early days," Shelley recalled.
The trauma of losing his mother to such a violent death impacted his behavior at school, as well. He was expelled from one school and was then admitted to a school for people with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. Last year, he was gearing up to go to college and take up the GCSEs. Even though his grades were not high enough to get him into college, he got into Derwentside College to study construction because he wanted to be an electrician. Soon, he realized college was just not for him.
This led him to take up a landscaping job with his uncle. He had big plans for the future and was looking to invest the criminal compensation he was going to receive soon in a truck and start a business. His grandparents gifted him driving lessons for his 17th birthday. He was looking forward to kickstarting his career soon. This was a huge improvement, given how he had a hard time controlling his emotions while growing up.
Genuinely one of the saddest stories I think I've ever read. RIP lad. What a tragic life. Sensitively told by @GavinHaveryEcho https://t.co/kKjZagbq79 pic.twitter.com/0UuoyIyDyQ
— Karl Holbrook (@KarlDHolbrook) April 2, 2021
For the 13 years that McKitten lived without his mother, he found ways to cope with the loss, but none were healthy. He stopped seeing a counselor because every time he changed one, he had to relive the tragic moments he lost his mom over and over again. He resorted to drugs to numb his senses. He had begun drinking vodka, smoking cannabis, used cocaine as well.
Even on the evening of his death, he was at a park with his friends and is believed to have been inebriated. He reportedly called his grandparents, asking them to pick him up. But because his grandfather had also had a couple of drinks and his grandma did not drive, they couldn't pick him up. So, he decided to walk.
Coroners Enquiry Coordinator for the British Transport Police collected information from witnesses who said that he had jumped into a river with his phone after the call. Later that evening he was spotted at a store using the phone to again call his grandparents. A witness remembered him saying, "You don't understand, you don't have a clue. Alright nee, bother." After the call, he walked to the train station, walked over the platform, and when a train passed by he jumped down and walked in front of it.
Post mortem examination revealed his cause of death was due to multiple injuries from being struck by a train. A toxicology report showed traces of alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine.
Assistant Coroner Leslie Hamilton recorded a conclusion of suicide saying: "For me, the most notable thing is that he stands for a minute and a half on the track then steps across to the other lane just as the train approaches. I'm satisfied that Jamie wished to take his own life, he was able to stand in the same position and purposefully step across."
References:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/durham-teen-jamie-mckitten-who-21072298
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jamie-mckitten-send-off?qid=5cac14d2f68bf2ed89e0de8959a96530
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe/Jamie McKitten Send Off
