Detroit, MI – Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian died in a Detroit area hospital following a short illness at the age of 83, according to a close friend and prominent attorney.
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Kevorkian died at 2:30 a.m. Friday after being hospitalized at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak since last month with pneumonia and kidney problems, his attorney Mayer Morganroth said.
An official cause of death had not been determined, but Morganroth said it likely will be pulmonary thrombosis.
“I had seen him earlier and he was conscious,” said Morganroth, who added that the two spoke about Kevorkian’s pending release from the hospital and planned start of rehabilitation. “Then I left and he took a turn for the worst and I went back.”
Nurses at the hospital played recordings of classical music by composer Johann Sebastian Bach for Kevorkian before he died, Morganroth said.
Kevorkian was released from a Michigan prison in 2007 after serving eight years for second-degree murder. He claims to have assisted in at least 130 suicides.
In 2008, he ran for Congress as an independent, receiving just 2.7 percent of the vote in the suburban Detroit district. He said his experience showed the party system was “corrupt” and “has to be completely overhauled from the bottom up.”
His life story became the subject of the 2010 HBO movie, “You Don’t Know Jack,” which earned actor Al Pacino Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of Kevorkian. Pacino paid tribute to Kevorkian during his Emmy acceptance speech and recognized the world-famous former doctor, who sat smiling in the audience.
Yes, but who helped him die?
Good riddance.
Dr. Kevorkian tried to minimum the suffering of the Jews and the Holocast by stating “The Jews really didn’t suffer, as they were gassed”. The point that his distorted mind was trying to make was that the Armenians were starved and brutalized by the Turks, but that the Jews “had a humane death” (by gas). His remarks were atrocious and reprehensible!
Good riddance to a serial killer.
So by his own value system, he took the coward’s way out. He had no assistance to exit this world, correct?
Not soon enough. But at least we are rid of this disgusting beast.
To #13 - He made those remarks to Mike Wallace, before he went to jail.
At least he died doing what he loved.
bibud reshoim rina
By the Shulchan Aruch’s definition he is a murderer and accoring to the Talmud in Sanhedrin he is a murderer violating the laws of murder for a Benai Noach. He sends the wrong message to society which cheapens the value of life in our society. The role of a Doctor is to try to save the sick and not to determine social policy or morality. He stepped over the bounds of his authority and made himself into G-d. As it says in Iyov, “G-d gives and G-d takes away.” it isn’t his job to play G-d. Therefore, he is a reprehensible peron and a digrace to his profession and humanity.
Sometimes the right battle is fought by the wrong person. I have watched friends and family members suffer terribly before dying. I know in my heart that allowing them to die with dignity would have been not just my choice but their choice, as well. If only we could have minimized their terrible pain and suffering, they would have been allowed to die a more humane death. Sorry, but this conversation needs to be had.
we, as Jews may not agree with his methods, but for others, who have ALS or MS going with some dignity means a lot. do u honestly think that smoking is not a slow suicide? it is, it;s a very slow death, even has been proven…read the cig package
He was meshugge; he was so obsessed with death that he also “created” art and music revolving around the theme of death.
If someone went to him for help, and he tried to assist in their suicide but was unsuccessful, could they sue him for malpractice?