For eight years, the 78-year-old retired pathologist has been imprisoned for his crimes in the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan. According to prison authorities, his defiance and flagrantly vocal disregard for the law have changed and he no longer spouts contempt for society and the legal system. Kevorkian now says that he should have worked to change the system legally.
In April 1999, just prior to being convicted, Kevorkian told Jack Lessenberry, ombudsman for The Blade, “Now I’ve got them where I want them.” His revolutionary statements to the public and media, and his obvious disdain for the laws have made his name synonymous with assisted suicide. At one time, he was one of the most famous US personalities.
Dr. Death’s reign began in June 1990 with the assisted suicide of Janet Adkins, 54, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s. She died after using an intravenous drug machine. Kevorkian was charged in December with first-degree murder, but the charges were later dismissed since there were no assisted suicide laws in Michigan.
In October 1991, Marjorie Wantz, 58, who suffered from chronic pelvic pain, died of lethal injection. Her death was followed by Sherry Miller, 44, a multiple sclerosis patient who died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The following month, Kevorkian’s medical license was suspended. In February 1992, he was charged with the murders of Wantz and Miller. In 1996, he was acquitted of these murders.
Over a nine-year span, Kevorkian assisted in the deaths of people suffering from various diseases and painful conditions, including terminal cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease, heart disease, breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, emphysema, intestinal disease, arthritis and other forms of cancer. Two of the youngest people recorded were Nicholas Loving, 27, who suffered from ALS and died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and Roosevelt Dawson, 21, who was paralyzed from the neck down and died from lethal injection. Kevorkian’s suicide methods included intravenous drugs, lethal injections and most commonly, the inhalation of carbon monoxide.
Perhaps the most prominent case is that of Thomas Youk, a 52-year-old man with advanced Lou Gehrig’s disease, who sought out Kevorkian in 1998 and agreed to have his death videotaped. Kevorkian then gave the tape to Mike Wallace from 60 Minutes and it aired on November 22, 1998. Days later, Kevorkian was charged with first-degree murder and the delivery of a controlled substance. During the trial in 1999, ‘Dr. Death’ committed legal suicide by firing his attorney and representing himself. He was convicted and sent to prison.
Kevorkian’s attorney, Mayer Morganroth, claims that his client suffers from numerous health issues, including hepatitis C, high blood pressure and diabetes, and he recently fell and cracked two ribs. Morganroth also insists that his client probably has less than a year to live. He says that Kevorkian plans to live with friends in Detroit, Michigan, while living off a small pension and Social Security.
Kevorkian has stated that, after his parole, he intends to write and do some public speaking. We can only guess what the topic will be. But the question on everyone’s mind―will ‘Dr. Death’ strike again? Only time will tell.
Kevorkian is expected to be released on June 1st, 2007.
~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a freelance journalist, book reviewer and editor. She is also the author of three mystery novels set in Canada, including the highly anticipated ‘assisted suicide novel’ Whale Song, which will release in April 2007 by provocative publisher Kunati Books. http://www.kunati.com/
Please visit Cheryl Kaye Tardif’s official website: http://www.cherylktardif.com
