A family is in distress and seeking deeper investigation into the tragic death of a 15-year-old, who died after plunging from a hotel balcony. Tyler Mason met his tragic end at the Meriton Suites hotel in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, on the night of March 14.
The police initially classified Tyler’s death as a suicide, a claim that has been vehemently disputed by his relatives. Tyler’s aunt, Jo-Ellen Hall, a mental health nurse, firmly believes that her nephew did not take his own life.
“There’s no way it was suicide,” she told Daily Mail Australia. “It’s 100 percent clear this boy was not capable of jumping off the balcony.”
Ms. Hall has relentlessly pursued the matter, admitting to having contacted the police around 60 times for answers regarding her nephew’s tragic demise. “If it was suicide, I wouldn’t be doing this. There is not one part of me that thinks it was suicide, absolutely none,” she added.
On the night he fell, Tyler was attending a 16th birthday party at the hotel with friends. Earlier in the evening, he had posted videos on social media from within the hotel, including clips of him in high spirits, dancing and singing to Eminem’s ‘Without Me’ alongside a girl.
Tyler had faced several challenges recently, including the loss of his mother in a car accident the previous February. His mother had struggled with drug addiction, leading to Tyler being placed into foster care.
Ms. Hall revealed that Tyler had attempted to disrupt his foster care placements, as he wished to be with his mother and ‘save her’.
In August of the previous year, Tyler was reported missing. According to his aunt, he had been living with his mother at that time. Following his mother’s death, Ms. Hall frequently checked on Tyler’s mental health, asking him if he felt suicidal, to which he assured her he did not.
Additionally, Ms. Hall raised concerns about possible drug involvement at the party, mentioning that Tyler was reportedly foaming at the mouth and had to be showered.
Despite the circumstances, videos taken shortly before his death show Tyler enjoying himself, adding layers of complexity and doubt to the narrative of his death being a suicide.
For anyone affected by these issues and needing someone to talk to, Samaritans offer a free, confidential 24-hour phone line at 116 123. Please do not suffer in silence.