Margaret Mary Ray
| Margaret Mary Ray | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 Illinois |
| Died | October 5, 1998 (aged 46) Hotchkiss, Colorado, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Peggy Ray |
| Education | Grayslake Community High |
| Alma mater | Marquette University |
| Known for | Stalking David Letterman and Story Musgrave |
| Spouse(s) | Gary Johanson (m. 1972–82) |
| Children | 5 |
Margaret Mary "Peggy" Ray (1952 – October 5, 1998) was an American woman who suffered from schizophrenia and erotomania. She received much media attention for stalking American late night television talk show host David Letterman and retired astronaut Story Musgrave.
Ray was second of four children born to George and Loretta Ray in Illinois. She attended Grayslake Community High in Grayslake, Illinois where she was a popular honor student. After graduating in 1970, Ray briefly enrolled in a nursing program at Marquette University. She dropped out during her sophomore year to marry her first husband, Gary Johanson, with whom she eventually had four children. When Ray was in her early 20s, she began showing signs of schizophrenia. Two of her brothers, Bill and David, also suffered from schizophrenia which began manifesting when both were in their early 20s. Bill committed suicide by driving his car into a tree in 1973 while David died of intentional carbon monoxide poisoning in 1977. Ray's mother Loretta later admitted that George Ray (who died of a heart attack in the 1970s) was treated for schizophrenia before their marriage and was an alcoholic.
By 1982, Ray's marriage to Gary Johanson had ended in divorce. Her mental health continued to decline and her ex-husband was awarded custody of their four children. Sometime after her divorce, Ray married for a second time and had a fifth child, Alex, in 1984. Ray's friends and family attempted to get her professional help but Ray refused and would frequently disappear for months at a time. Ray lived a transient life and would often hitchhike across the United States. When she was not living at the homes of various friends and family members, she would live in shanties. Around 1989, she relinquished custody of Alex to her mother.
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