Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was found dead after an apparent suicide in their Bedford home Wednesday.
The Westchester County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the cause of death was asphyxiation by hanging.
Multiple sources tell ABC News that Kennedy was found dead in a barn on their Bedford property, and the New York Post reports that she allegedly left behind a suicide note.
Kennedy, who had trouble with drugs and alcohol, and was previously arrested for drunk driving, was apparently "lost and alone." From the Daily News:
“She always seems lost these days, whenever she came into the village,” said a neighbor. “Lost and alone and sort of out of it.”
RFK Jr. and Mary Richardson Kennedy were married in 1994, and filed for divorce in 2010. The separation was apparently "devastating" and three days after the split, Mary Kennedy was arrested for driving while intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 0.11 percent. She was later fined $500 and had her license suspended for 90 days.
Months after that incident, she was arrested again, this time for driving under the influence of drugs. A Pleasant Valley Town judge later threw out that charge, noting that there wasn't evidence Kennedy was aware her prescription drugs would impair her ability to drive.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the son of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, is a prominent environmental lawyer and author, and served as the Assistant District Attorney in New York City.
The couple had four children together.
Mary Kennedy's family issued a statement following on her death:
"We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her," the family said in a statement issued by attorney Kerry Lawrence. "Our heart goes out to her children who she loved without reservation."
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