NHL legend Claude Lemieux penned several “heartfelt” notes to family members just before he died by suicide, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office incident report obtained by The California Post on Friday.
The document states that prior to his passing on May 28, Lemieux wrote multiple messages in his notes app and left a post-it on his phone with instructions for how to access them before he hanged himself at his family’s home-design business in Lake Park, Fla.
In his directions that were written in black marker, Lemieux wrote, “look inside phone notes 1965,” according to the report.
When investigators gained access to the app, they stated they discovered “multiple notes that were individualized.”
“The notes were heartfelt in nature,” officials said, “reflected sorrow for his decision, and were consistent with that of a suicide note.”
In the hours before his passing, Lemieux had been confronted by his wife, Deborah, about a possible relapse following years of sobriety.
When Lemieux confirmed his backslide, “Deborah asked him to leave the residence,” according to the report.
Lemieux’s son, Brendan, was made aware of his parents’ conversation, and after learning his father’s location had shifted to the family’s business, he drove over to check on him, the report states.
Brendan found Lemieux in the back of the building and dialed 911, according to the document.
Along with the phone and accompanying sticky note, authorities said they located an open bag of “bedtime gummies” near Lemieux’s body. However, officials claimed Lemieux’s “toxicology report listed ‘negative’ for all analytes.”
Lemieux played for several NHL teams from 1983 to 2009, including the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils. He won four Stanley Cups and one Conn Smythe Trophy.
He was 60 years old.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
