On Friday, July 27, The Reverend George David Exoo was moved to the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, West Virginia. The Republic of Ireland is seeking to have Reverend Exoo extradited for providing compassionate care and spiritual comfort while witnessing the January 25, 2002 suicide of Rosemary Toole in Dublin, Ireland.
Exoo is a Harvard Divinity School-educated minister. From 1977 to 1987, he served as pastor of the Unitarian Church of Charleston, SC, and later served several other Unitarian congregations in the U.S.
Exoo has stated publicly that he has attended at least one hundred such events in his capacity as a “suicide chaplain” and “final exit guide.”
Exoo, age 65, is being held in federal custody pending an August 17, 2007 extradition hearing, to be held in the Federal Building in Beckley, West Virginia. The recent jail move move was for administrative reasons and does not reflect any change in his case.
The case has drawn international attention. In Britain, independent journalist Jon Ronson has been filming Exoo interviews since 2002.
On July 30, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. local time, Charleston, SC CBS affiliate WCSC-TV is scheduled to broadcast a special segment on Exoo’s case. The piece was produced by WCSC feature editor Erin Colgan, who interviewed Skip Johnson (skipjohnson@bellsouth.net), former Religion Editor of the Charleston, SC Post and Courier, and Richard N. Côté (dickcote@earthlink.net), an Exoo colleague and his biographer.
Full, updated details on The Reverend Exoo and his precedent-setting case may be found at www.compassionate-chaplaincy.com, which was updated today, June 30, 2007.
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* For accurate Exoo biographical information and the current status of his extradition case
for allegedly assisting an Irishwoman’s suicide, visit www.compassionate-chaplaincy.com
* For fact-checking, interviews with colleagues of George Exoo, and/or high-resolution images
for media use, contact Richard N. Côté at dickcote@earthlink.net / telephone: (843) 881-6080
/ Fax: (843) 278-8456
