Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often carried out as a result of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder,alcoholism, or drug abuse, as well as stress factors such as financial difficulties, troubles with interpersonal relationships, and bullying.Suicide prevention efforts include limiting access to method of suicide such as firearms and poisons, treating mental illness and drug misuse, and improving economic conditions. Although crisis hotlines are common, there is little evidence for their effectiveness.

The most commonly used method of suicide varies between countries and is partly related to the availability of effective means. Common methods include: hanging, pesticide poisoning, and firearms. Suicide resulted in 842,000 deaths in 2013. This is up from 712,000 deaths in 1990. This makes it the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. Rates of completed suicides are higher in men than in women, with males three to four times more likely to kill themselves than females. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year. Non-fatal suicide attempts may lead to injury and long-term disabilities. In the Western world, attempts are more common in young people and are four times more common in females than in males.

Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Josef Hernandez (born November 6, 1989) is a former American football tight end and convicted murderer. Hernandez played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of a BCS National Championship team and was recognized as an All-American. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Hernandez was released by the Patriots in June 2013 immediately after his arrest for the murder of Odin Lloyd.

On August 22, 2013, Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player, in June 2013. On May 15, 2014, Hernandez was indicted for the 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. On April 15, 2015, he was found guilty of first-degree murder in the Lloyd case, and is serving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center.

Early years

Aaron Hernandez was born in Bristol, Connecticut, to Dennis Hernandez, who was of Puerto Rican descent, and Terri Valentine-Hernandez, who is of Italian descent. Dennis died from complications from hernia surgery in January 2006, when Aaron was 16. Dennis—who was known as "The King" in the city of Bristol—along with his twin brother, David, were local sports stars in their youth but also reportedly got into street fights and were involved in various crimes including assault and petty larceny. The pair would eventually straighten out their lives when they became fathers. By all accounts, Dennis was a doting father who instilled a hard work discipline in his two sons, honing their athletic abilities and emphasizing the importance of education.

Steve Stephens

Stephen Owen Stephens (Steve) is a television and communication pioneer in Arkansas, who originally became well known as the host of "Steve's Show," a hugely popular television program in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He has remained a communication specialist as of this posting.

Born in 1930, to Allie and Owen Stephens in Newport, Arkansas, Steve later attended Castle Heights Military Academy, and graduated from Newport High School. Following graduation, he attended the University of Arkansas until the Korean War erupted in 1950, when in his quest for adventure, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Attaining the rank of sergeant, he received three battle stars in Korea. After the Korean Armistice was signed in 1953, he was honorably discharged and returned to Newport.

While in the Marines, he was occasionally asked if he had ever been a broadcaster, as he seemed to have a natural "radio voice." After returning to Newport, he began as a part-time announcer at radio station KNBY, and soon became known as the "Voice of the White River Valley."