CNN’s Grace Sued Over Woman’s Death
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Relatives of a mother who committed suicide after CNN’s Nancy Grace aggressively questioned her about the disappearance of her son sued the network and the talkshow host yesterday, accusing Ms. Grace of pushing the woman over the edge.
Melinda Duckett shot herself to death on September 8, one day after taping a segment on Ms. Grace’s CNN Headline News show in which Ms. Grace interrogated Duckett about her whereabouts on the August day that 2-year-old Trenton Duckett was reported missing. The network aired the segment after Melinda Duckett’s death.
Investigators have since named Melinda Duckett as the prime suspect in his disappearance.
The attorney for Duckett’s estate, Jay Paul Deratany, said Ms. Grace encouraged Duckett to appear on her show by saying the goal was to draw public attention to help find the boy.
“It’s not just about the questioning. It’s about the misrepresentation with the knowledge that she was emotionally distraught,” Mr. Deratany said. The attorney said Ms. Grace improperly took on the role of a law enforcement officer.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
CNN Headline News said in a statement: “We stand by Nancy Grace and fully support her, as we have from the beginning of this matter.”
