A Florida man and his wife, both of them sheriff’s deputies, have committed suicide within days of each other, leaving their one-month-old son behind as an orphan, an official said.
Clayton Osteen, a St. Lucie County Deputy, died on January 2nd. Days after Osteen’s death, his wife, Deputy Victoria Pacheco, also took her own life “in the wake of her husband’s death,” Sheriff Ken Mascara said in a statement on Tuesday.
“As sheriff, I saw these two deputies as young, ambitious, and a great compliment to my already amazing group of professionals,” Mascara said. To the general public, and sometimes even myself, it’s easy to view law enforcement as superhuman … but let’s not forget that they’re human just like us.”
On New Year’s Eve, just before midnight, the sheriff’s office said Osteen, who was off-duty, had tried to kill himself. His family removed him from life support Sunday, Mascara said.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office learned that Osteen’s wife had committed suicide, although the sheriff didn’t specify the day she took her life. The sheriff’s office hasn’t shared the name of the child.
“While it is impossible for us to fully comprehend the private circumstances leading up to this devastating loss, we pray that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change, a catalyst to help ease the stigma surrounding well-being and normalize the conversation about the challenges so many of us face on a regular basis,” Mascara said.
If you are feeling suicidal or in emotional distress and live in the state of Florida, you can call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential crisis counseling. You can as well go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
