One of the theories advanced, questioned, discussed, etc. over the past 10.5 years is whether or not Ray Gricar could have been depressed. Depressed severely enough to commit suicide. Depressed severely enough to not fulfill his duties as Centre County DA or return home.
I considered suicide a few times, because his social support seemed weak and narrow by his choice, and family support appeared to be even weaker through no one's fault, just circumstances of a middle- aged man. ( Parents deceased, only sibling deceased in very strange circumstances, a grown daughter living across the country, and three nephews living in another state and in varying stages of busy young adulthood).
Many things seem to keep happening with sitting DAs in Texas and the following is an example of how one depressed DA, Susan Hawk, DA for Dallas, could not keep her struggles from her co-workers, her ADAs- many of whom she fired when they questioned her decision- making lapses, or from the city of Dallas at large ( those who knew her, knew of her, had been defendants in her courtroom, etc). The following article is probably and hopefully the last in a year's worth of articles chronicling Susan Hawk's sudden disappearance for unknown reasons from her home for an extended period of time, her erratic behavior, her stay in a psychiatric facility, then her leave of absence for an unspecified reason shortly after her return ( she was in drug rehab. for approx. 30 days), and finally, her return to her position as DA on the advice and consent of her treating psychiatrists and mental health team.
There is also the parallel issue of the attempted removal of her from her position through a judicial process declaring her mentally unstable to serve in her elected position. A judge issued a ruling in the issue of her fitness to serve Dallas as DA this past week in her favor.
I waited to bring this to the Gricar discussion until the ending was clearly known because it's been a roller coaster of a very pretty DA, her divorce, the collapse of her family life and extending to her professional life. I sincerely hope this is a new beginning for her in all ways.
The following comes from the Dallas Morning News today, which is North Texas' most venerable newspaper.
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/...a-fresh-start-but-its-not-a-vindication.html/
There is much more written about Susan Hawk's unexplained absences from office for a period of months twice in her term as DA in the mainstream media outlets. Much of it is in her own words, after her second and final return to office. It has been a very polarizing event for Dallas, and a big portion of a lady's life struggles. Most likely, the Dallas Morning News, from which the above " final ending" piece was written, will be the best source of information about what happened to her in her own words.
After the fact, she seems open and able to discuss her deep and fairly sudden deep depression and other associated psychiatric disorders which required emergency admission to a psychiatric facility, and to briefly explain her second extended absence for intensive in-patient drug detoxification and rehabilitation following an injury which required opiate-type medications a few months later. There are several worthwhile interviews with her and a news reporter in which she seems very candid. I believe there are lessons to be learned about how extreme personal stress combined with high-pressure professional responsibilities can affect some people.
While we know that Ray was not known to have any substance abuse or mental instability, nor was he publicly investigated for any wrongdoing, because I don't think there was any professional or personal wrongdoing, the case I have linked to shows just how open a DA's life is because it has to be so. There were members of the judiciary who tried to have this lady removed from office because she didn't tell everyone she was in a psychiatric facility for a couple of months. No one knew how she was or where she was. The situation escalated when she took a second unspecified leave of absence to seek help with her dependence on pain medication. She says now that it was a huge mistake not telling her office and other involved persons what had happened to her, but she was not in a mental state to talk with them or anyone else at the time.
Obviously, she DID reappear and had to face many months of questioning by reporters, the city council, hold public press conferences, etc. to try to regain her credibility and the gravitas of her position as Dallas District Attorney. She almost lost her career several times, and according to her statements, possible loss of her life, through attempted suicide, and then, through addiction to pain medications, which she doesn't discuss in great depth.
This is another example of why I do not think Ray committed suicide. To the best of my knowledge, her story the strongest recent high-profile personally driven story concerning a DA in a while.
I think it's important to bring these other stories to light because one of them might shed some light on what happened to Ray and help drop another possibility down a bit when considering what happened to him.
Ms. Hawk's controversies have been very sad to watch, and very tense regarding her present and future abilities to be an effective and strong DA. One of the key points is that her staff noticed changes in behavior much sooner than she did They knew something was wrong, but they didn't know what or why. This is almost always the case in severe depression and other mood disorders in a person who lives their professional life in the scrutiny of the people they serve.Thanks to all who read the one news article I have linked, which is the most recent one, dated 1.10.2016 and will consider more strongly that if Ray had been depressed enough to either commit suicide OR leave his life for an uncertain future, the people working with him would have known something was seriously wrong in his life, and in his thought processes.
