Claude Lemieux had relapsed into a sex addiction before his death by suicide, his son told police in newly released bodycam footage from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, was found dead at the family’s furniture company warehouse in Palm Beach County on May 28. Officials determined he died by hanging.
His son Brendan, 30, who discovered the body, told investigators that the family had noticed a change in his father’s behavior in the period leading up to his death. That change prompted concerns about a relapse after 12 years of sobriety, leading his wife Deborah to confront him and tell him to leave their home hours before his death.
In the footage, Brendan told investigators that his mother found out his father was no longer sober, and that it was what triggered the events of that night. When an officer asked about possible alcohol use, Brendan clarified that his father’s primary struggle was with sex addiction rather than alcohol, and said he was not even sure whether his father had been drinking.
Brendan described his father as having been “lashing out” and “not being nice to people” in the lead-up to his death, and said the situation had “spiraled completely” in recent weeks. He said his mother confronted his father at around 10:30pm on May 27 after he confessed to relapsing, and told him to leave.
Brendan then went to the family home to discuss with Deborah how they could support Claude going forward before tracking his father’s phone location to the warehouse. Upon arriving, he found Claude’s Ford truck in the parking lot, removed a firearm he knew his father kept in the glove compartment, and stashed it in his own vehicle. He then entered the warehouse and found his father, and called 911. Lemieux was pronounced dead at around 3:24am.
It was also reported that Lemieux left individualized notes for family members in the notes app of his phone, along with a post-it note with instructions on how to access them. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office incident report described the notes as “heartfelt in nature” and said they “reflected sorrow for his decision” and were consistent with suicide notes. A toxicology report returned negative for all analytes.
Lemieux is survived by his wife Deborah and four children: daughter Claudia, 29, and sons Christopher, 37, Michael, 34, and Brendan. His death came three days after he served as the ceremonial torch bearer for the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre before their Eastern Conference Final Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. An online chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.
