MADISON (WKOW) -- According to family members, mental health may have played a role in a murder-suicide in Madison.
Police said Jason Wray killed his wife, Jessica, at their home on Darien Circle on Sunday before stepping in front of a semi on the interstate. Jason Wray was pronounced dead at the scene.
The couple leaves behind three children.
In a news conference, MPD called the murder an act of "domestic violence," and Jason Wray's sister Jessica Schaack said he struggled with depression for more than 20 years.
For many of those years, Schaack said her brother kept it a secret and struggled with depression behind closed doors.
"There's such a stigma associated with it so he kept a lot of that from my mom, from my dad, from me and our close friends," she shared.
Despite seeking help and having a strong support system, Schaack said her brother's depression worsened over the last few years.
"Our father passed away three and a half years ago," she explained. "And then you add in COVID-19 and the stress of him being a health care provider, that was very hard on him too."
She said she feels his mental illness played a role in what he did on Sunday.
"We can only think maybe there was some kind of psychosis or something that triggered him to do what he did," Schaack said.
Schaack said the deaths of her sister-in-law and her brother are devastating and that she doesn't want to take away from what happened or justify it. However, she hopes by speaking up she might be able to help at least one person struggling with mental illness.
"Know that you're not alone, seek the help that you need, be forthcoming and be honest with your therapist and psychiatrist," she said. "That's very important as well but also be honest with your family, they are there to support you through anything."
She added that it's "okay to ask for help and its okay to reach out, and it's okay to say you have a mental illness."
There is a helpline for people struggling with their mental health. The number is 988.
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