As family and friends attended a memorial Friday for a Malibu resident who died in an automobile accident in the early morning on New Year’s Day, they not only suffered because of his loss, but also were infuriated by a recent news story which attributed his death to suicide.
Ted Demers died at 2:22 a.m., Jan. 1, when his Toyota Landcruiser went off a cliff on Briarbluff Drive landing on Castlewood Drive near the home of his ex-girlfriend.
Deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Deptartment initially theorized it was a suicide, as reported in the story.
However, members of his family, as well as friends, say that Demers suffered from juvenile diabetes, which, they say, may have been a factor in his death.
Demers’ ex-wife, Susan, said he took insulin shots for his diabetes and had to check his blood level every two to three hours. She believes he may have suffered a seizure that morning because of low blood-sugar levels.
“I’ve known him for 20 years,” said Susan. “He may have had a couple of drinks [New Year’s Eve], that will bring it up [the sugar levels], but within an hour and a half it crashed.”
David Frankel, M.D., who works at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as well as at St. John’s Health Center in Malibu, said the biggest danger with people who take insulin is if they take too much, it causes blood sugar levels to go too low and could cause an hypoglycemic attack. A person could lose consciousnness during such an attack, he said. Frankel said it is very common for people with diabetes to suffer from hypoglycemia.
“Once a week at Cedars they have someone come in [with hypoglycemia],” said Frankel.
“I’m not saying diabetics shouldn’t drive,” he cautioned. “They just need to have a higher level of vigilance.”
One reason sheriff’s deputies may have believed the accident was a possible suicide is that a deputy found what they believed to be a suicide note.
However, Det. Christine Carns, of L.A. County Homicide, who has been assigned to the case, said it was not a suicide note.
“It was the name of a song by [the rock group] R.E.M.,” said Carns, “written on a piece of paper.”
Carns said they are investigating, but will not be able to determine anything until autopsy results are received, which could take several weeks. The L.A. County Coroner’s press spokesperson said the coroner routinely screens for drugs and alcohol in traffic fatalities. Carns also said the doctor at the coroner’s office said, because of head trauma, it’s hard to determine if it’s a suicide.
However, “it is coincidental that he happened to be near his girlfriend’s house,” said Carns.
According to people who knew Demers and his ex-girlfriend, the couple had a stormy relationship that ended two months ago.
“Everyone states that he had no reason to commit suicide,” said Carns. “It’s real hard to determine.”
Malibu resident Bruce Abbott, a friend of Demers for 8 years, said there were people who saw Demers the previous week.
“There was no part [of him] that was suicidal from what I saw,” said Abbott.
Abott said Demers had “[problems] no more or no less than anyone else on the planet.”
Abbott, as well as Susan Demers, spoke of a recent book, “Tomorrow To Be Brave,” for which Demers helped secure publishing. Susan said he had the rights to the book and also had recently signed another deal on Dec. 15 for a second book.
“His life was on the upswing,” said Susan. “He was not depressed. If he was depressed, he would have never ever left his son in this way.”
Susan and Demers’ son attends Malibu High School.