Assisted-Dying Blog

FOR THE RECORD
Trial of the volunteers of the Final Exit Network in the USA
A jury trial was held in Phoenix, Arizona during April 2011 concerning the death of Jana Van Voorhis, age 56, on April 12, 2007. She had chosen to die with the helium hood method with guides from the Final Exit Network in attendance. The accused and the verdicts were:
Laurence M. Egbert MD, aged 82, Baltimore, MD., former F E N medical director. Charge: conspiracy to commit manslaughter by aiding in a suicide. Plea: Not guilty. Verdict: Not guilty.
Wye Hale-Rowe, Ann Arbor MI, aged 82, volunteer helper. Charge: manslaughter. Pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, facilitation to commit manslaughter, because of poor health. Sentence: Probation.
Franklin R. Langsner, aged 86, Scottsdale, AZ, volunteer helper. Charge: manslaughter by aiding in a suicide and with conspiracy. Plea: Not guilty. Verdict: Hung jury. Jury voted 7 to 1 to acquit him of conspiracy, and 4-3 (1 abstention) to acquit him of aiding in a suicide. Retrial possible.
Roberta Massey, aged 65, Cherry Hill, NJ, former case coordinator. Conspiracy to commit manslaughter. Pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of facilitation to commit manslaughter because of poor health. Sentence: probation.
Length of trial: ten days. Ended 21 April 2011 Jury deliberation: three days.
27 April 2011 update Source: ERGO

Tags: Assisted Suicide, choice in dying, Euthanasia, euthanasia and assisted death, Final Exit, Final Exit Network, helium, Helium Method