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In this photo from February 13, 2017, Alabama Attorney General, Steve Marshall, kisses his wife, Bridgette, after being sworn in to Montgomery, Ala.
(Associated Press)
Alabama Attorney General Steve Montgomery on Wednesday opened a press conference on his wife's suicide last weekend after a long struggle with mental illness.
Marshall said that he felt obliged to tackle the tragedy to stop the "half-truths" about his wife's death and also to share his story in the hope that she might help other families and individuals who have battled mental illness and suicide. .
He said his wife was suffering from major depressive disorder and anxiety, often finding the limelight that accompanied her life as an official to be authoritarian and fearing that her long-standing struggles would be exposed.
"For me, I wonder if, yes or no, if I was not Attorney General, would she still be alive?"
Since childhood, Bridgette Gentry Marshall, 45, has suffered from chronic migraines that have led to prescription opioid addiction and unsuccessful detox stays, WAFF-TV reported. She also had illnesses that caused physical pain, including a digestive disorder that required a feeding tube.
A woman from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where Bridgette Marshall was staying, called police at 7:46 am Sunday after the Attorney General's wife was found dead on a couch, with a self-inflicted bullet wound, reported AL. com.
"For me, I wonder if, yes or no, if I was not Attorney General, would she still be alive?" Marshall said. "If I had not chosen public service, would she still be here today and I would be haunted by this for the rest of my life."
Alabama's Attorney General, Steve Marshall, was campaigning for a full term as the chief responsible for the enforcement of state laws.
(Associated Press)
Marshall, 53, was appointed attorney general of the state in February 2017 after former high-level attorney Luther Strange was elected to the US Senate, Montgomery Advertiser reported. . Marshall was campaigning for a full term in the position.
Marshall said that his wife's personal struggle had caused him to take a short time in Murfreesboro. When Bridgette came home for the June 5th primary election and her birthday, Marshall said that they saw a "happiness" in her that had been lost for a while.
"And then, for some reason, something has changed and we do not know what," he said.
In his last phone call, Marshall recalled his wife telling him, "I'm tired of being tired and I just want to go."
"I told her how she was loved, as a guy who is professionally supposed to convince people with words to do something I could not reach," says Marshall sobbing.
"You are the man for the job in Alabama, I love you more than you'll ever know and could not be more proud of how you handled just as you always do gracefully."
Marshall then asked for the privacy of his 20-year-old daughter, saying that he and she needed time to cry after their loss.
He concluded by reading a loving note that his wife had written for him two weeks before his death, where she encouraged his pursuit of the Attorney General's office.
"Steve, I knew you'd get out," the note said. "It was a great birthday present that I knew was coming, you are the man from work in Alabama, I love you more than you'll ever know and I could not be more Proud of your way of doing it as always, I love you, my love, Bridgette.
"It's the woman I'm going to celebrate … Let us celebrate this life and stop having to discuss his death," Marshall said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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