Girl accidentally strangled herself with necklace at her North Texas home, sheriff says
A 7-year-old Wise County girl died Thursday after she accidentally strangled herself with a necklace, the county sheriff said Friday.
Hadley Evan Burns of Rhome was pronounced dead at 3:23 p.m. Thursday at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office website on Friday. A ruling on her death is pending.
The incident occurred about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the family’s home, according to the sheriff’s office.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said Friday that investigators do not believe foul play was involved, but the investigation continued.
“Right now, it looks like an accident,” Akin said.
Hadley’s mother found her daughter by her bedroom door with a ligature around her neck, authorities said. Akin described it as a “braided necklace.”
“The necklace was hanging on the door and she had used it several times to open and close (the door,)” Akin said.
Investigators learned Hadley had been watching shows about how people use halters for horses, and she could possibly have been trying to imitate something she saw, Akin said.
On Wednesday night after finding her daughter, Hadley’s mother began CPR. Another daughter called 911.
A deputy continued CPR after arriving at the scene, the sheriff said.
Hadley was taken to a Wise County hospital, and then moved to the Fort Worth hospital where she later died.
Hadley had been alone in her room, authorities said. Her two younger brothers, a sister and her mother were in the home at the time of the incident.
“It’s very tragic,” Akin said.
A GoFundMe account has been established for Hadley’s family.
“She was a loving daughter, a joyful granddaughter, a loyal friend and a supportive sister to her three siblings,” Lauren Lamb wrote on the account. Lamb created the account for the family, according to the website. “She knew the Lord and recently expressed a desire to get baptized. By the grace of God, she was baptized at the hospital.”
