WHY he did it: Steven "Doc" Betts Suicide Note Revealed

WHY STEVEN “DOC” BETTS' KILLED HIMSELF—SUICIDE NOTE REVEALED

Stevie's suicide letter, detailed his reasons for giving up on life, after being lied to, lied about, his reputation ruined, his bank account robbed (and no action was taken in this matter), falsely accused of assault and then kicked to the curb over and over again. His life was also threatened repeatedly.

All of these evil acts were committed by the same woman who dramatically changed and ruined his life, career, reputation and mental health.

Broken hearted and fed up, when he was informed by other residents that she was AGAIN, having other clandestined encounters with other men for money, he gave up on life and his self.

"I tried to save her, Teresa. I tried to make an honest woman of her and I failed." Betts told me last summer. I didn't realize until he told me so, just how close he came to committing suicide then. He claimed that I was "his life saver."

I was there daily to encourage him and help him heal, wrote songs with him, took him swimming, cooked for him, got him out of the house, helped him slow down his drinking, played music with him, wrote music with him, as well as advocated for him in his legal matters in court.

We were dear friends, each of us blues artists and writers in our own right. I knew him as his true self before SHE came along. Brilliant! That's what he was. He was a world class artist, songwriter, bluesman and guitar player at the very least. I saw him as my beautiful, beautiful mess.

When artists of his depth, sensitivity and brilliance are mistreated, it can unbalance them to a point that they just hurt so much they feel that they can't go on, because the pain is felt so deeply within them. They become blinded by the pain of it all. When mistreatment happens over and over and over, many have given up. Steve was one who did. The loss of him has long reaching affects for many. Artists of his caliber are soooooo rare.

At 56 years old he had never been in trouble with the law, until he allowed (in my experience and opinion), a very evil woman into his life.

His honor had been stolen from him repeatedly. Integrity was very important to him.

He was a man who valued his honor deeply. I've found that military men are usually that way.

He was broken and deeply depressed.

All my attempts to get him into treatment were met with lack of funds to pay for psychological services.

So I was there for him and I helped in anyway that I could. I listened, consoled, comforted and counselled him while he wept and told me all he had done for her and all the abuse and betrayal he recieved in return. The lies she told about him devastated him. He'd been fired from one of his bands because she would start fights in the club, while he was onstage.

His bank account was robbed because he trusted her with the pin number, and she gave it to a relative, who allegedly robbed him of every penny he had via the ATM. The charges he pressed were left abandoned by those who had the authority to seek justice on his behalf. They blamed him, the victim for trusting her with the information in the first place.

When he was out of work, had no money, food or a ride, I provided. That's what real friends do for each other. He busted her several times cheating on him.

After months of encouragement, countless days, nights and hours of talking together, playing the blues together, writing songs together, he started healing and becoming his old philosophical and happy self again.

When I called to tell him some very good news, just before Christmas, SHE answered his cell phone. SHE was back and just as filthy mouthed on the phone as usual. She blatantly and with venon refused to call him to the phone and told me not to call again after calling me filty names. I was shocked that he would let this abusive person back into his life again. I could see him falling into the same pattern that abused women fall into. I was also angry that he let her back after all the the horrors he suffered at her hands. He reminded me of female DV victims and the awful pattern they fall into of going back over and over. It happens to men too.

He never did get the good news I had to tell him, which pertained to both of our careers as blues artists together. It was business and it was looking up. And it was VERY good news indeed. Those plans are now just as dead as he is. Artists as good as Doc, are very very rare. Their level of sensitivity and brilliance is so intense that if mistreated, it can kill them. It did him.

The news of his death absolutely devastated me.

He detailed his reasons for giving up on life in his writings and suicide letter. I've decided (and with his daughter's permission), to let him tell you why he took his own life himself by publishing exactly what he wrote word for word in his suicide note and writings below:

"Dear Misty,

Loving you, has killed me. I've tried to make an honest woman of you, but now realize that is an impossible dream.

I remember when you would touch me and tell me you were in love with me. You used to hold me. Then you left me for him. Then you came back. Then you went back. Then you came back. Then you went back to him again.

I figure that's where you are again. Money. He'll have some so that's all you want.

As soon as I was broke you left me again.

You took everything I had and used it up, I know exactly what you do.

By the time you read this I will be gone. You just don't care about me and it became obvious with you and David.

You made a fool out of me again. You made me walk to see you drinking with him and you wouldn't leave the bar. Take a good look at what you did to me. Take a look at how you treated me last New Year's eve.

You wouldn't even kiss me after I played my ass off for you.

Tonight I'll play for you one last time Misty.

I'll play my heart out and cry one last time for you.

I know you are already gone. You won't stop me. You've been gone before and I always let you come back.

But you can't come back again to nobody. I won't be here for you anymore.

I am looking at the mess you made and looking at the price I paid. And thinking about a vision that turned out wrong. And those promises you made and broke, and you left me the last time I saw that you was with him.

And I killed myself for you?! You were with him."

Misty, was run off by law enforcement after she was spotted by a resident, rumaging through his house immediately after the Coroner took his body away.

If you have information about the theft of Doc's black Fender Telecaster, contact me by email at Teressa.Brewer@gmail.com, Rockaway Beach Police Officer Ben Matthews, or the Taney County Sheriff's office.

All information given to me will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will be used to assist in the recovery of "Doc's" guitar, for his daughter Brooke.

As Steve said in his song: "If that ain't love, I'll wash your butt and drink the water!"