Florida Sheriff's Deputies Die by Suicide Just Days Apart, Orphaning Their 6-Week-Old Son [View all]

Two sheriff’s deputies in Florida who were in a long-term relationship took their own lives in a tragic series of events that left their baby son an orphan. Clayton Osteen and Victoria Pacheco both died by suicide within days of each other, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday.

According to a press release from Sheriff Ken J. Mascara, deputies responded to a 911 call just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. First responders soon discovered that the call concerned one of their own, Deputy Osteen, who had attempted to take his own life. The 24-year-old Osteen, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was named Deputy of the Year in 2020, initially survived the suicide attempt and was transported to a nearby hospital. Two days later, on Jan. 2, his family decided to remove him from life support.

Just two days later, on the morning of Jan. 4, Pacheco “took her own life in the wake of Deputy Osteen’s death,” Mascara said. She was 23 years old.

Sheriff Mascara did not speculate as to what may have driven the couple to take their own lives, but he emphasized that law enforcement deals with “the stress of those whom they serve in our community, which can sometimes be very challenging.”

The two had recently become parents, and welcomed Jayce Osteen into the world on Nov. 22, 2021.

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/florida-sheriffs-deputies-die-by-suicide-just-days-apart-orphaning-their-6-week-old-son/