PHP problem with die()

Question

So, I have this code:

        } else {

            $photograph_moderation = new PhotographModeration($this->photograph_id);
            $photograph_moderation->purgePhotograph();

            //eventually take to an error page
            die('image is not big enough to upload');

        }

the purgePhotograph() function gets called properly when this condition is met, but the script never appears to die. Is there a reason why die wouldn't get called here? purgePhotograph() has no script killing commands either.

Here's the purge_photograph function:

public function purgePhotograph() {

    $db = Connect::connect();
    $photograph_id = $db->real_escape_string($this->photograph_id);

    $query = "SELECT * from photographs WHERE id='{$this->photograph_id}'";
    $result = $db->query($query);
    $photograph = $result->fetch_assoc();

    if ($photograph['location'])
    unlink($photograph['location']);

    if ($photograph['thumbnail_location'])
    unlink($photograph['thumbnail_location']);

    if ($photograph['watermark_location'])
    unlink($photograph['watermark_location']);

    if ($photograph['xsmall_location'])
    unlink($photograph['xsmall_location']);

    if ($photograph['small_location'])
    unlink($photograph['small_location']);

    if ($photograph['medium_location'])
    unlink($photograph['medium_location']);

    if ($photograph['large_location'])
    unlink($photograph['large_location']);

    if ($photograph['xlarge_location'])
    unlink($photograph['xlarge_location']);

    if ($photograph['xxlarge_location'])
    unlink($photograph['xxlarge_location']);

    if ($photograph['xxxlarge_location'])
    unlink($photograph['xxxlarge_location']);

    $query = "DELETE from photographs WHERE id='{$this->photograph_id}'";
    $result = $db->query($query);

    $query = "DELETE from photograph_tags WHERE photograph_id='{$this->photograph_id}'";
    $result = $db->query($query);

}

Answer 1

Maybe now is the time to install a php debugger module and step into the code in question.
xdebug and e.g. netbeans as the frontend work well enough.