Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff attempted suicide, wife says

Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff attempted suicide, wife says

2011-10-27 04:48:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- Ruth Madoff, the wife of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, has revealed in an interview to be aired this week that she and her husband attempted to commit suicide in December 2008.

Ruth told CBS News in her first interview that she and her husband had decided to kill themselves after Bernard was arrested on charges he was behind Wall Street's biggest ever investment fraud of as much as $65 billion. He was out on $10 million bail when they attempted suicide.

"I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening," Ruth told CBS News. "We had terrible phone calls. Hate mail, just beyond anything and I said, 'I just can't go on anymore.'"

Before they attempted suicide, Ruth sent a package containing sentimental items, including jewelry, to their son Andrew. "She told me that she and my father had planned to kill themselves," Andrew told CBS News. "They put that package together beforehand and sent it out."

Ruth said she and her husband then took a bunch of pills, including Ambien and Klonopin, in a desperate attempt to end their lives. "I took what we had, he took more," she said, adding that it happened on Christmas Eve. "That added to the whole depression."

But the pills did not kill the couple as they had hoped and they both woke up the next day. "We took pills and woke up the next day. It was very impulsive and I am glad we woke up," Ruth explained.

CBS News said the full interview will air on Sunday.

In December 2010, police found the body of Mark Madoff, the son of Bernard, at his luxury apartment in New York City. Mark, who was never charged with any crimes relating to his father's massive Ponzi scheme, died after he hung himself on the second anniversary of Bernard's arrest.

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