The extremely embellished Particular Forces soldier who died by suicide in a Cybertruck explosion on New Yr’s Day confided to a former girlfriend who had served as an Military nurse that he confronted important ache and exhaustion that she says have been key signs of traumatic mind damage.
Inexperienced Beret Matthew Livelsberger, 37, was a five-time recipient of the Bronze Star, together with one with a V system for valor underneath hearth. He had an exemplary navy report that spanned the globe and a brand new child born final yr. However he struggled with the psychological and bodily toll of his service, which required him to kill and brought about him to witness the deaths of fellow troopers.
Livelsberger largely bore that burden in personal however just lately sought therapy for despair from the Military, based on a U.S. official who spoke on situation of anonymity to supply particulars that haven’t been made public.
He additionally discovered a confidant within the former nurse, who he started relationship in 2018.
Alicia Arritt, 39, and Livelsberger met by a relationship app whereas each have been in Colorado Springs. Arritt had served at Landstul Regional Medical Middle in Germany, the most important U.S. navy medical facility in Europe, the place lots of the worst fight accidents from Iraq and Afghanistan have been initially handled earlier than being flown to the U.S.
There she noticed and handled traumatic mind accidents, or TBIs, which troops suffered from incoming hearth and roadside bombs. Critical however laborious to diagnose, such accidents can have lingering results that may take years to floor.
“I noticed loads of unhealthy accidents. However the persona modifications can occur later,” Arritt mentioned.
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In texts and pictures he shared with Arritt, Livelsberger raised the curtain a bit on what he was going through.
“Just a few concussions,” he mentioned in a textual content a couple of deployment to Helmand Province in Afghanistan. He despatched her a photograph of a graphic tattoo he obtained on his arm of two skulls pierced by bullets to mark lives he took in Afghanistan. He talked about exhaustion and ache, not having the ability to sleep and reliving the violence of his deployment.
“My life has been a private hell for the final yr,” he instructed Arritt throughout the early days of their relationship, based on textual content messages she supplied to the AP. “It’s refreshing to have such a pleasant individual come alongside.”
On Friday Las Vegas legislation enforcement officers launched excerpts of messages Livelsberger left behind exhibiting the way by which Livelsberger killed himself was intentional, meant each as a “wakeup name” but additionally to “cleanse the demons” he was going through from dropping fellow troopers and taking lives.
Livelsberger’s demise in entrance of the Trump Resort utilizing a truck produced by Elon Musk’s Tesla firm has raised questions as as to whether this was an act of political violence.
Officers mentioned Friday that Livelsberger apparently harbored no ailing will towards President-elect Donald Trump, and Arritt mentioned each she and Livelsberger have been Tesla followers.
“I had a Tesla too that I rescued from a junkyard in 2019, and we used to work on it collectively, bond over it,” Arritt mentioned.
The pair stopped speaking repeatedly after they broke up in 2021, and he or she had not heard from him in additional than two years when he texted out of the blue Dec. 28, and once more Dec. 31. The upbeat messages included a video of him driving the Cybertruck and one other one in all its dancing headlights; the car can sync up its lighting and music.
However she additionally mentioned Livelsberger felt issues “very deeply and I may see him utilizing symbolism” of each the truck and the resort.
“He wasn’t impulsive,” Arritt mentioned. “I don’t see him doing this impulsively, so my suspicion could be that he was in all probability pondering it out.”
Arritt served on energetic responsibility from 2003 to 2007 after which was within the Military Reserve from till 2011. With Livelsberger she noticed signs of TBI as early as 2018.
“He would undergo durations of withdrawal, and he struggled with despair and reminiscence loss,” Arritt mentioned.
“I don’t know what drove him to do that, however I feel the navy didn’t get him assist when he wanted it.”
This undated photograph supplied by Alicia Arritt, exhibits her with former Military Particular Forces soldier Matthew Livelsberger, who died by suicide in a Cybertruck that exploded in entrance of a Trump resort in Las Vegas on New Years Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.
Alicia Arritt by way of AP
However Livelsberger was additionally candy and type, she recalled: “He had a extremely deep nicely of inside energy and character, and he simply had loads of integrity.”
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh instructed reporters Friday that it has turned over all Livelsberger’s medical data to native legislation enforcement, and inspired troops going through psychological well being challenges to hunt care by one of many navy’s help networks.
“If you happen to need assistance, when you really feel that it’s essential to search any kind of psychological well being therapy, or simply to speak to somebody — to hunt the companies which can be out there, both on base or off,” Singh mentioned.
When Livelsberger struggled throughout the time they have been relationship, Arritt prodded him to get assist. However he wouldn’t, saying it may value him his capacity to deploy if he was discovered medically unfit.
“There was loads of stigma in his unit, they have been, you understand, massive, robust, Particular Forces guys there, there was no weak spot allowed and psychological well being is weak spot is what they noticed,” she mentioned.
Livelsberger searching for therapy for despair was first reported by CNN.
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