‘She Felt Guilty and Didn’t Know What to Say’: A Marine Widow Says Her Daughter Silently Carried Guilt for Months After Her Father’s Death

Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide, including details of how the death occurred, and discusses the impact on surviving family members including a minor child. Reader discretion is advised.

A video shared to X by @HistorianUSA1 showed a woman describing a conversation with her 14-year-old daughter about the night her husband, a Marine Corps veteran, died by suicide four months earlier.

"Up until last night, I thought I was the last person to see my husband alive, but my 14-year-old yesterday broke down and told me that no, she was actually the last person to see him alive," she said.

She said her husband had been struggling with his mental health in the period before his death. "He struggled with a lot of mental health issues, and he ultimately left in the middle of the night and went to a rural location and took his life," she said.

Her daughter had gotten up to use the bathroom that night and saw her father heading toward the front door. "As she was walking in the bathroom, she saw him leaving the house," the mother said. The daughter said nothing at the time, went back to bed, and attended school the next morning before learning what had happened.

The mother said her daughter had kept the memory to herself for months out of fear of blame. "She felt guilty, she didn't know what to say, and she didn't want anybody to be mad at her," the mother said.

She recalled reassuring her daughter every day after that. "I told her the same thing that the police told me, that had it not been that night, it would have been another night, because he had a plan," she said.

The mother grew emotional recalling the day she had to tell her children what happened, adding, "My poor baby."

The comment section was full of support and sympathy for the family. One user wrote, "Hey sweet soul 🤍🌾 I appreciate you more than you know. And please don’t ever feel shy to message me directly in my DM. I’m always happy to hear from you. 💛✨"

One commenter described discovering a parent's death as a child decades earlier, writing, "I came home from school and found my father's dead body. It happened in 1986 and I have relived it every day since then."

The mother said she believed her husband would not have left had he known his daughter was awake. "I know for a fact that Kyle thought we were all asleep. I know for a fact he would not have left the house, had he known that she was awake," she said.

Another commenter connected the video to a recent loss in their own life, writing, "Lost a son of a friend this summer to suicide. Blast radius is enormous. Prayers."

If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.