Child's death labeled suicide, but police raise questions

By Paul Daquilante
Updated Jan. 11, 7 p.m.

McMinnville 6-year-old Samantha Kuberski, found unresponsive Dec. 2 with a child's blanket and belt wrapped around her neck, committed suicide by hanging, according to Deputy State Medical Examiner Dr. Clifford Nelson.

"It's not common, but basically, the investigation led to this conclusion," Nelson said.

Tuesday, however, a spokesman for McMinnville Police Department went public with questions about whether the young girl's death actually was an intentional suicide. It's rare for local authorities to take issue with findings of the state Medical Examiner's Office, but that appears to the situation with this case.

Police Capt. Dennis Marks, in an interview with KOIN Channel 6 TV in Portland, said, “Our investigator … feels that … Samantha may have in fact done the actions that led to her death. But he finds it hard to believe, based on our interviews about her and about her situation, that she would have intentionally done that which we feel is part of committing suicide.”

Samantha, a Grandhaven Elementary School first-grader, had lost consciousness when she was discovered at her residence, 600 N.E. Summerfield St., about 5 p.m. Medics rushed her to the Willamette Valley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Her three sisters and her mother, Kellie Kuberski, were in other parts of the home at the time, according to police Det. Sam Elliott. Her father, Graham Kuberski, arrived just as she was being readied for transport to the hospital, Elliott said.

"He was gone, but in the area," Marks said. "His wife called him and said he needed to get home."

An officer transported the parents to the hospital and interviewed them there. They subsequently interviewed the surviving children with the assistance of personnel from the state Department of Human Services and Juliette's House, McMinnville's child abuse assessment center.

"The reports are still being reviewed by the district attorney's office, but on the surface, from what we have been able to see, there does not appear to be any criminal culpability associated with this incident," Marks said.

District Attorney Brad Berry said he has reviewed case reports and requested additional information before making a charging decision.

Editor’s Note: The original story incorrectly identified Samantha as being autistic with physical disabilities. It reported on a 2008 incident at the Kuberski home that allegedly involved Samantha. That report was based on the reporter/editor team’s reading of public documents plus statements from neighbors. However, after publication on Saturday, authorities reported that the disabled girl involved in that 2008 incident was one of Samantha’s sisters. That portion of the story has been deleted at the request of the Kuberski family, but reader comments referring to it remain in place below. The News-Register regrets the error, and apologizes to the Kuberski family.

From: http://www.newsregister.com/article/42857-child039s+death+labeled+suicide