Former NHL player Claude Lemieux was confronted by his wife about his sobriety on the evening of May 27, hours before his death, according to an incident report.
Deborah Lemieux reportedly approached her husband, alleging he had relapsed after 12 years of sobriety. Claude acknowledged the relapse, and his wife asked him to leave their home around 10:30 p.m. that night.
Later that evening, Claude's son, Brendan, became concerned after a conversation with his mother. He noticed Claude's phone location had pinged at their family's home-design business in Lake Park, Florida, and drove to the location. Upon entering the building, Brendan discovered his father had died by suicide. Authorities arrived at the scene shortly after 3 a.m. on May 28.
Law enforcement officials reportedly found a cell phone with a note near Lemieux's body. A bag of THC edibles was also located nearby. However, a toxicology report did not detect any substances in his system at the time of his death, the report stated.
Lemieux, 60, played in the NHL from 1983 to 2009. During his career, he won four Stanley Cups and one Conn Smythe Trophy. He was honored at the Colorado Avalanche's 30th Anniversary Celebration of the 1995-1996 season just days before his passing.
For anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, free and confidential crisis counseling is available by calling or texting 988, or by chatting at 988lifeline.org.