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[video=youtube;xsqDaTWgtp0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsqDaTWgtp0[/video]
SINGAPORE: The CEO of a Singapore-based firm dealing in Bitcoin - an online currency created in 2009 - had been stressed and depressed over financial and company problems before she committed suicide in February this year.
This was the finding of the Coroner's Court, which on Monday (Sep 15) ruled out foul play in the death of 28-year-old Autumn Marie Radtke, a United States citizen. Ms Radtke, the CEO of First Meta, was found dead on Feb 26 at about 7am, on the second-floor parapet just above a rubbish collection centre of a 30-storey HDB block at Cantonment Close.
The Coroner's Court found Ms Radtke's cause of death to be from "multiple injuries consistent with those sustained from a fall from height". The court also found she had expressed suicidal thoughts separately to two of her friends, days before her death.
Ms Radtke's slippers were found on the 16th floor of the building. Investigation Officer Inspector Koay Lean Seong, who testified in court on Monday, said she could have chosen the 16th floor in her final moments, as the number was in her date of her birth.
TRACES OF DRUGS
Police found a plastic strip that had traces of cocaine in Ms Radtke's pants. But State Coroner Janet Wang said it was "inconclusive" if she had consumed it shortly before her death.
Ms Radtke's boyfriend - 30-year-old Daniel Pohlod, whom she met at a party in mid-2012 - said during investigation that he suspected Ms Radtke had been taking drugs. But the Australian said Ms Radtke denied it, and that he had never seen her carrying or consuming drugs.
One of Ms Radtke's colleagues had said to investigators that he may have seen her consuming drugs in November 2013. Mr Melvin Ong, an operations manager, said he saw Ms Radtke inhaling a white powdery substance which Ms Radtke said was "E". Mr Ong said he did not probe further.
Toxicology reports had found traces of medicine used to treat depression and anxiety disorders in Ms Radtke's blood and urine.
FINAL HOURS BEFORE HER DEATH
CCTV footage showed Ms Radtke visiting the HDB block alone in Cantonment Close three times, 12 hours before her death. The footage was obtained from three cameras at the Cantonment Close block and two others along Everton Road.
The court also heard that when the police checked Ms Radtke's personal laptop, they found she had researched suicide methods two days before her death. There were 49 visits made to suicide-related websites - 46 of which were made on February 24.
STRESSED OVER COMPANY FINANCES
First Meta is a local start-up incorporated in 2007. According to its website, Ms Radtke moved from California to Singapore in January 2012 to take up the post of CEO. Investigations showed that about a year and a half after taking up this position, Ms Radtke had started to worry about the state of the company.
First Meta's co-founders said during investigations that Radtke started talking about selling or restructuring the company in the second half of 2013. By December that year, Ms Radtke was thinking of returning to the US.
Mr Pohlod also told investigators that he had noticed something amiss about Ms Radtke's behaviour in January this year. He found her physically and mentally stressed due to the lease of her company premises, a three-storey building which also served as her home. Investigations showed that of the S$6,000 to S$7,000 salary Ms Radtke drew, S$4,100 of it went to the monthly rental of the building.
CORONER'S VERDICT
The State Coroner said: "It is apparent that Ms Radtke was determined to end her life and had made concerted efforts towards facilitating this outcome. It was unfortunate that the magnitude of the issues on the work and personal front had taken a toll on her and precipitated in the tragic event.
"Regrettably, this could have been forestalled with timely intervention and support, given that the deceased had demonstrated some measure of distress to the people known to her before her demise. Professional counselling and appropriate psychiatric treatment could have helped to blunt her suicidal inclination."
The State Coroner also expressed her condolences to Ms Radtke's family, adding she hopes they could find some form of closure from the inquiry.
- CNA
SINGAPORE: The CEO of a Singapore-based firm dealing in Bitcoin - an online currency created in 2009 - had been stressed and depressed over financial and company problems before she committed suicide in February this year.
This was the finding of the Coroner's Court, which on Monday (Sep 15) ruled out foul play in the death of 28-year-old Autumn Marie Radtke, a United States citizen. Ms Radtke, the CEO of First Meta, was found dead on Feb 26 at about 7am, on the second-floor parapet just above a rubbish collection centre of a 30-storey HDB block at Cantonment Close.
The Coroner's Court found Ms Radtke's cause of death to be from "multiple injuries consistent with those sustained from a fall from height". The court also found she had expressed suicidal thoughts separately to two of her friends, days before her death.
Ms Radtke's slippers were found on the 16th floor of the building. Investigation Officer Inspector Koay Lean Seong, who testified in court on Monday, said she could have chosen the 16th floor in her final moments, as the number was in her date of her birth.
TRACES OF DRUGS
Police found a plastic strip that had traces of cocaine in Ms Radtke's pants. But State Coroner Janet Wang said it was "inconclusive" if she had consumed it shortly before her death.
Ms Radtke's boyfriend - 30-year-old Daniel Pohlod, whom she met at a party in mid-2012 - said during investigation that he suspected Ms Radtke had been taking drugs. But the Australian said Ms Radtke denied it, and that he had never seen her carrying or consuming drugs.
One of Ms Radtke's colleagues had said to investigators that he may have seen her consuming drugs in November 2013. Mr Melvin Ong, an operations manager, said he saw Ms Radtke inhaling a white powdery substance which Ms Radtke said was "E". Mr Ong said he did not probe further.
Toxicology reports had found traces of medicine used to treat depression and anxiety disorders in Ms Radtke's blood and urine.
FINAL HOURS BEFORE HER DEATH
CCTV footage showed Ms Radtke visiting the HDB block alone in Cantonment Close three times, 12 hours before her death. The footage was obtained from three cameras at the Cantonment Close block and two others along Everton Road.
The court also heard that when the police checked Ms Radtke's personal laptop, they found she had researched suicide methods two days before her death. There were 49 visits made to suicide-related websites - 46 of which were made on February 24.
STRESSED OVER COMPANY FINANCES
First Meta is a local start-up incorporated in 2007. According to its website, Ms Radtke moved from California to Singapore in January 2012 to take up the post of CEO. Investigations showed that about a year and a half after taking up this position, Ms Radtke had started to worry about the state of the company.
First Meta's co-founders said during investigations that Radtke started talking about selling or restructuring the company in the second half of 2013. By December that year, Ms Radtke was thinking of returning to the US.
Mr Pohlod also told investigators that he had noticed something amiss about Ms Radtke's behaviour in January this year. He found her physically and mentally stressed due to the lease of her company premises, a three-storey building which also served as her home. Investigations showed that of the S$6,000 to S$7,000 salary Ms Radtke drew, S$4,100 of it went to the monthly rental of the building.
CORONER'S VERDICT
The State Coroner said: "It is apparent that Ms Radtke was determined to end her life and had made concerted efforts towards facilitating this outcome. It was unfortunate that the magnitude of the issues on the work and personal front had taken a toll on her and precipitated in the tragic event.
"Regrettably, this could have been forestalled with timely intervention and support, given that the deceased had demonstrated some measure of distress to the people known to her before her demise. Professional counselling and appropriate psychiatric treatment could have helped to blunt her suicidal inclination."
The State Coroner also expressed her condolences to Ms Radtke's family, adding she hopes they could find some form of closure from the inquiry.
- CNA
