A 39-year-old mother from Missouri has been arrested and charged after her daughter took her own life.
Annie M. Small was arrested on Friday as she reportedly “failed to get her daughter medical care and secure her firearms when the girl made self-harming statements,” the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said.
12-year-old Anyiah committed suicide only hours after her mother put down her ‘severely injured’ dog.
Small told officers that she shot Anyiah’s pet as it was critically injured after a fight with another dog, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Two hours later, Anyiah shot herself.
Small explained that her children could access firearms but she did not think her daughter had access to the weapon she used on her dog.
Authorities then found the girl’s diary with the heartbreaking words ‘plz help me plz plz help’ and ‘I am not loved’ and ‘I hate life’ handwritten on the ceiling.
Small also revealed that her daughter said she was considering hurting herself a day before taking her own life.
Prosecutors said that it was unusual to charge a parent in connection with a child’s suicide but they believe the 12-year-old’s death would’ve been prevented.
Clark County Prosecuting Attorney April Wilson said: “If you have serious mental or emotional injury, it can you lead you to do very serious self-harming or harming of others.”
The mother is accused of neglecting her daughter by taking the life of her dog, failing to secure weapons when the daughter was making ‘self-harming statements,’ and failing provide her with proper medical care.
Anyiah “was her own person, and loved expressing it,” her obituary says. “She was very outgoing, and would wear any shade of makeup that was put in front of her, even the bold blue eye shadow and bright red lipstick.
“One of the most important parts of Anyiah’s life was her little sister. She was always looking out for her, and cared for her deeply.”
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