NEWSNaomi Judd Once Vowed To Not Commit Suicide Out Of Fear Her Sheriff Grandson Would Find Her Body
On April 30, singing sensation Naomi Judd took her own life at age 76 — but an insider is now disclosing that for years, she promised to never kill herself out of fear her 27-year-old grandson, Elijah, would be forced to investigate her death since he works at the local sheriff's office in Tennessee.
Elijah, the son of Wynonna Judd and her first husband, Arch Kelley III, has held a job at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for eight years now.
Naomi and Ashley Judd alongside Elijah and his sister Grace in 2018
According to a Radar Online source, Naomi once told her inner circle, "The only reason why I haven’t shot myself is because of my grandson. I don’t want Elijah to find me that way."
The source noted that "Naomi knew if she killed herself at home, the sheriff’s department would be called. The department isn’t very large so it’s entirely possible that Elijah would have been called to the scene. That’s the last thing Naomi wanted."
Despite her words, the star used a gun to kill herself after struggling with mental illness for decades. It was Elijah's aunt, actress Ashley Judd, who found the crooner's after pulling the trigger. The latter was alive for around 30 minutes before succumbing to her injuries.
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As OK! reported, Naomi's husband, Larry Strickland, received approval from the court after he requested to temporarily seal the details of her death, as he believes the documents depict her in such a "graphic manner" that it could cause "emotional distress, pain and mental anguish" to those who saw the photographs of her body. He also thinks "the release of these records would continue to cause the entire family pain for years to come."
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Strickland was allegedly aware of Judd's suicidal thoughts, which is why he tried to hide their firearms.
"Larry was always worried about how fragile she was. He never wanted to leave her alone because he didn’t trust her emotional state," another Radar insider shared. "I’m told he feels very guilty because the firearm she used was his — and it wasn’t locked up."
