Twenty-three years after former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau was found guilty of raping one of her 13-year-old students in 1997, it is being reported that she has passed away. After spending seven-and-a-half years in prison, she was released and went on to marry the boy she was found guilty of raping, Vili Fualaau.
Letourneau was 34 years old when she sexually assaulted Fualaau and fell pregnant with a child. She was also married and a mother of four, CBS News reports.
Mary Kay Letourneau Dies After Months-Long Battle With Cancer
Now, according to CNN, although Letourneau and Fualaau eventually divorced years after starting a family together, he was present when she took her last breath at the age of 58. Letourneau’s former attorney David Gehrke, the mom of six died fairly suddenly at her home late Monday, July 6.
Letourneau was surrounded by most of her family, during her final moments. Fualaau assumed the role of giving her 24-hour care during the last month of her life. The former couple had two children together.
The Letourneau and Fualaau family released a joint statement following her passing to writer Danielle Bacher. In the statement, the families shared that Mary Kay had been battling metastatic cancer for six months.
“We are deeply saddened to share the difficult news that our beloved mary passed away peacefully on July 6th, 2020 after a six month battle since being diagnosed with stage IV, or metastatic, cancer. Mary fought tirelessly against this terrible disease,” the statement read, in part.
She and Fualaau got married in 2005, less than a year after she was released from prison. Then, 11 years later, just shy of their 12-year anniversary, Fualaau filed for legal separation in 2017. The reason why Fualaau wanted to separate from his former wife is unclear.
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In April, it was reported that nearly three years after separating from Fualaau, Letourneau was ready to start dating again. A source told People that she had been using dating websites and apps to find a new partner. Particularly, the source explained, a partner her own age.
“She’s on at least one dating site that I know of but she also has been on the apps,” a source told People.” She’s just casually looking around to see if there’s anyone. She’s not someone who does well by herself.” At the time of her passing, Letourneau was still a registered sex offender in Washington State.
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