Monkey owner found dead at home

Some blame Martha Stewart's suicide on neighborhood complaints about her pet monkeys she kept at her home. "She felt her neighbors didn't like her anymore."

By JON WILSON

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 5, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Martha Stewart's monkeys have been taken elsewhere and her ashes, as she requested, will be scattered over water.

The 47-year-old Causeway Isles resident, whose lemur and two tamarin monkeys upset neighbors and brought City Hall attention, was found dead at home on June 13.

The medical examiner's officer ruled the death a gunshot suicide. Police found a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, according to reports.

"She felt her neighbors didn't like her anymore," said City Council member Bob Kersteen, who represents the Causeway Isles neighborhood.

Newspaper and television reports featured Stewart and her pets last year soon after she moved into the trim house at 7949 Fourth Ave. S. Neighbors said they were concerned about the animals' noise and diseases they might spread.

The controversy came before the City Council, which asked the city staff to find a way to ban the animals.

But that proved to be difficult because state regulations governed Stewart's animals -- and a state wildlife officer said she was within the law.

Authorities were not poised to take Stewart's animals. No city action was pending.

"There was nothing threatening her animals," said Mark Winn, senior assistant city attorney.

Stewart had complained to the media, friends and relatives about neighbors harassing her. "She couldn't even go out in her front yard," said her sister Kathryn Jachna.

There were signs Stewart was about to put the situation behind her.

Kersteen said he believed Stewart, who had degrees in law, marine science and ornithology, was planning to move out of the neighborhood.

A friend had removed the monkeys, then returned the next day to get the cages and discovered Stewart's body, said Jachna.

Jachna said she did not know her sister had a gun, nor, said Kersteen, did anyone in St. Petersburg.

"It's unfortunate when something like this happens," Kersteen said. "I don't feel good about it. It pains me."

Jachna said Stewart left no note, "but she left a lot of papers concerning the neighbors."

Lynn Zirkle was one of Stewart's neighbors. "It's a shame the lady killed herself," he said, adding that animal regulation remains a concern.

"Even though the monkeys are gone out of my neighborhood, it's still a problem in the city," he said. "We can't drop it now just because these are gone."

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