Steve Clute, former California assemblyman, gave his wife a gun so she could kill herself, prosecutors allege

Former California Assemblyman Steve Clute has been charged with a felony for allegedly giving a gun to his wife, a well-known Riverside college professor, so she could commit suicide last year.

Clute, 69, of Palm Desert, who represented eastern portions of Riverside County for much of the 1980s, was charged with felony aiding a suicide on Thursday. District Attorney Mike Hestrin identified the victim as Clute's wife, Pamela, and DA's spokesman John Hall said Clute provided her with a handgun so she could kill herself.

Steve Clute and Pamela Clute, 66, had been married for about 40 years.

UPDATE: Steve Clute to plead not guilty to aiding wife's suicide in ‘very very sad’ case, attorney says

Steve Clute is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Wednesday. He does not have an attorney listed in court records. A reporter visited Clute's publicly listed address on Monday, but a new owner said Clute moved away months ago.

According to an arrest declaration made public Monday, Clute called 911 on the morning of Aug. 21, 2016, and said he'd found his wife with a gunshot wound and not breathing. He told the dispatcher his wife suffered from severe pain and wanted to end her life.

Steve Clute told investigators he woke to the sound of a gunshot and found his wife. He said he changed clothes at least three times before calling 911, and investigators determined he called 911 about 45 minutes after finding his wife's body, according to the declaration.

MORE: Steve Clute to plead not guilty to aiding wife's suicide in ‘very very sad’ case, attorney says

Steve Clute said his wife suffered from severe pain because of a chronic back condition, the report said. Clute said his wife was unable to "do it," but he also denied pulling the trigger himself.

"Steven said he had given Pamela the revolver as an option to end the pain she was going through based on a previous discussion they had about using the revolver as an option," the report said.

Medically assisted suicide is legal in California under strict parameters. The law allowing terminally-ill patients to request life-ending drugs from doctors took effect in June 2016. Suicide by firearm is not permitted.

Clute, a former Navy pilot, served in the state Assembly from 1982 to 1992. For much of his political career, Clute remained a low-key legislator, focused more on representing desert constituents than statewide policy. Clute drew the most attention during his last year in office, when he became the only state elected official to publicly oppose a plan for the Eagle Mountain landfill. The plan, which critics contended would have been environmentally damaging, was debated for more than a decade before being scrapped.

Clute ran for Congress as a Democrat in 1996 in an unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Sonny Bono. More recently, Clute made unsuccessful bids to return to the state Assembly in 2006 and 2008.

Pamela Clute was a UCR assistant vice chancellor emerita revered for her support of math and science education, particularly for women. She had retired before her death.

Outside of the classroom, Pamela Clute developed her own workout program, Ab Attack, that she taught at the UCR recreation center. According to the university, she had skills as a baker and gambler, playing blackjack in Las Vegas in the 1970s to pay for her college education.

Her memorial service on the Riverside campus drew roughly 500 people, including high ranking educators and local politicians.

U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of Riverside, speaking on the U.S. House floor not long after her death, called Pamela Clute “a remarkable educator and person who died too young just a few weeks ago."

“She took every opportunity imaginable to support our community,” Takano said.

Public Safety Reporter Brett Kelman can be reached at 760 778 4642 or at brett.kelman@desertsun.com. You can follow him on Twitter @TDSbrettkelman.