Claire Blehr & Thomas Goodwin Arrested In Assisted Suicide Pact

[RaVen Blackehart]

Two people were arrested Wednesday in North Georgia after officials said they were involved in the assisted suicide of a Cumming man, said John Bankhead with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Two others have been charged in Maryland in connection with the death.

The GBI said they began their investigation into the Final Exit Network in June 2008 at the request of the Cumming Police Department and Forsyth County coroner. A detective with the Cumming Police Department said the family of the 58-year-old deceased man had suspicions his death was an assisted suicide.

As part of the investigation, the GBI said they set up a sting operation at a home in Dawson County Wednesday in which an undercover agent posed as a Final Exit Network member to obtain their assistance with his “suicide.”

The investigation revealed that the method used in the Cumming assisted suicide involved helium inhalation, GBI officials said.

According to the GBI, after paying $50 for membership in The Final Exit Network and going through an application process, the member would be visited by an “Exit Guide” assigned to his case. During the visitations, the member was instructed to purchase two helium tanks of a specific size and brand and a specific type of hood known as an “exit bag”. On the day of the event, the member was visited by the “Exit Guide” and a “Senior Exit Guide”. The Senior Exit Guide instructed the member through the process.

This assisted suicide process was confirmed during Wednesday’s sting operation, police said. After the member succumbed, all evidence was removed from the scene by the “guides” and discarded, as evidence indicated happened in the Cumming case, GBI officials said.

Police arrested Claire Blehr, 76, of Atlanta and Thomas E. Goodwin, 63, of Kennesaw.

In Maryland, police arrested Dr. Lawrence D. Egbert, 81, of Baltimore. Nicholas Alec Sheridan, 60, also of Baltimore has been charged but is not in custody.

All four have been charged on warrants out of Forsyth County with assisted suicide, tampering with evidence, and violation of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/18795222/detail.html#-

[Dakota Valkyrie]

That is exactly why I would never involve anyone in my suicide. If I was ever going to do it, that is. Problem is, I would be doing so much work to make my passing easy on my family that someone would be sure to notice. Hopefully they would turn a blind eye to it and claim innocence afterward.

[philly_phan]

I was just reading about this group on another site...

My feeling is if the patient has their sense about them, this is what they want to do and they make a conscious and clear decision to make their FINAL EXIT, then so be it.

I know of people who are terminally ill and in so much pain, this is Heaven for them. Forget the religious and medical ramifications - what about someone choosing what is best for them and what they want to do w/ their own life?! If they talk to their family about it, make all the necessary arrangements and consent to using this as an option, that is their own right and the Final Exit Network is not to blame. Just my 2 cents

[AMINFH]

Just something to add: Apparently the center of the argument that this form of assisted suicide is viewed as murder is that when the person breathes the helium in the special "hood", the exit guide person holds the arms of the person committing the suicide down. This prevents them from stopping the act, removes the chance for them to change their mind in the last minute.

[Hellsbells]

Ariz. jury acquits doctor in assisted suicide case

A doctor charged in the death of a Phoenix woman in 2007 has been acquitted.

A Maricopa County Superior Court jury found Dr. Lawrence Egbert not guilty Thursday on manslaughter charges. The jury couldn't reach a verdict for co-defendant Frank Langsner.

They are among four people indicted in May 2009 in the death of Jana Van Voorhis, who doctors say was depressed.

Prosecutors say the other two defendants have pleaded guilty to one count of facilitation to commit manslaughter and agreed to testify in the case.

A May 9 status conference is scheduled for Langsner's retrial.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/21...-suicide-case/