Nearly a year after killing Joel Marino and a month after being taken off suicide watch, former University of Wisconsin student Adam Peterson committed suicide in his prison cell at the Dodge Correctional Institution Jan. 11.

Two weeks before his sentencing, Peterson, 20, hanged himself with a bed sheet on the upper bunk in his prison cell. He was pronounced dead at 10:21 p.m. after being found by his cellmate and examined by the Dodge County medical examiner.

Peterson unsuccessfully attempted suicide in the Dane County Jail Sept. 25 and was placed on suicide watch. Although he attended his plea bargain hearing in a suicide-prevention smock, Peterson was not on suicide watch when he arrived at DCI Dec. 8.

“He was in our assessment and evaluation unit,” said John Dipko, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Peterson was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis after he was arrested for killing Marino, 31, at Marino’s Madison home Jan. 28, 2008. Peterson pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide.

Peterson’s lawyer Dennis Burke said in court that at the time of the homicide, Peterson was completely lucid and was competent to enter the plea.

Debbie and Lou Marino, the parents of Joel Marino, heard the news of Peterson’s suicide when they were on their way home from the 60th wedding anniversary party of Joel’s grandparents. Debbie Marino said they both were in a state of shock.

“It was totally like a blast; somebody hitting you with a baseball bat in the stomach,” she said. “I was just stunned, and Lou was real emotional; he instantly started crying.”

Debbie Marino expressed her sympathies for the Peterson family. She said she hated getting the phone call about her son and assumed they felt the same way.

However, Peterson’s suicide does not provide complete closure for the Marino family. Debbie Marino says it’s only legal closure, and she is glad she does not have to attend another court hearing about the case.

“It is not like closure like the word says, close like you close something up and you can handle it,” she said. “There is a part in your heart that will now and forever hurt.”

The prison is undergoing a complete internal review to see if Peterson’s suicide could have been prevented.

Although Dipko could not speak of Peterson’s particular case due to confidentiality laws, he said Peterson went through a security screening when he first arrived at the prison.

“He was monitored closely when he was in assessment evaluation,” Dipko said.

Additionally, Peterson received a follow-up evaluation for his condition during the course of time he was in his specific unit.

Debbie Marino said nothing positive came of this case — two families are ruined and two people are dead.

“It was two very bright people; Adam in one place in his life, Joel in another,” she said. “Unfortunately, Adam went down the wrong path. He could have gone down the right one.”