Metis teen's suicide known to friends

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While Wayne Moberly was discussing his suicidal feelings with teenage friends, he was leaving adults in the dark, an inquiry into his death heard on Oct. 5.

The 16-year-old Metis boy, who hanged himself in the basement of his foster parents' home May 30, revealed to at least three young people he was thinking of ending his life.

But foster parents Michelle Delorme, Wayne's youth worker Margaret Slaney and Debbyann Solway, acting manager of the social services' office in Grande Cache, all denied any knowledge of him being suicidal.

Donna Moberly, 16, a cousin of Wayne's, told the inquiry held before Judge Michael Porter Oct. 5 at Grande Cache that Wayne spoke of his suicidal thoughts to her and another student during a 10-minute conversation in typing class, a month

before he killed himself.

"He was laughing and said he wanted to kill himself. I asked him why and he said: 'No one cares about me.' I told him he had a lot of friends, who cared about him," she said.

"At first I didn't think he was serious, but I did after listening to him," she said.

Donna said she didn't tell anyone what Wayne had said, although she and the other student did discuss it. Darlene Moberly, 17, also a cousin of Wayne's, said she was like a sister to him.

She also learned of his suicidal feelings about a month before while they were strolling through the local makk, she said.

Out of the blue while he was teasing her, he said, "I think I should commit sideways (suicide)."

"I told him it wasn't worth it," she said.

They had also talked in mid-May about people they knew who had committed suicide.

"I think he just wanted his family to be together again," said Darlene.

Wayne's family split apart, apparently due to family alcohol problems when he was nine-years-old. In the next seven years before he died, he had lived in seven residences, including three foster homes.

His oldest brother Paul committed suicide five years earlier with a shotgun.

The week before Wayne died he had been suspended from school for three days. That Sunday he was seen in church at Susa Creek for the first time by Donna.

The evening before Wayne died, Darlene and he had supper together at the Grande Cache Hotel, but he was silent about his plans.

"He seemed like he was a bit down; that was it," she said. "He was his normal self, but he wasn't as pesty. He's usually bugging me, pushing me," she said.

Darlene said "it was a kind of a relief" that Wayne wasn't teasing her, but she was bothered by his quietness that night.

She said she was surprised her friend killed himself. But said he probably couldn't have been helped.

"If somebody is going to commit suicide, how are you going to stop him?"

And 16-year-old Coline Bisson, a friend of Wayne's, said he threatened to take pills when she refused to go out with him. She later learned from a friend he had once been hospitalized after taking an overdose of pills. Bisson was advised to keep

an eye on him.

It was to Bisson that Wayne wrote a touching letter found by Delorme in a book on the kitchen table shortly before she discovered his body in the basement.

He had attached a picture of himself to the letter.

"I am really sorry for everything I have done to upset you," he wrote. "I will always remember you.

"I know I have been a jerk to you, but it's just that I will do anything to get you," said Wayne.

"Why don't you give me another chance?" he asked. "I promise to God I will change my attitude towards you, because I don't want to lose you over some stupid thing I did."

Solway, who had never met Wayne, said social services was trying to teach teenager skills so that he could live on his own once he turned 18 years old.

She described Wayne a a "very quiet person, who found it difficult to share his feelings.

"I'm not sure how if you have someone, who's not able to share their feelings, how you can assist them if they've made a decision," she said.

Judge Porter has asked her to submit a list of all home in which Wayne lived since he was apprehended.

"I think it's important to know where and when he was from the time he first came into the realm of social services," he said before adjourning the two and a half hour hearing.

Wayne's mother, Victoria, attended the inquiry as did a sister. They did not testify.

Wayne was buried June 2 at Susa Creek Cemetery, 10 km east of Grande Cache.