Euthanasia+Cases

Dr. Jack Kevorkian Becoming a Doctor

 Dr. Kevorkian was born in Pontiac, Michigan. In 1952 he graduated from the University of Michigan medical school with a specialty in pathology. In 1956 he published an article discussing his efforts to take pictures of the eyes of dying patients. This is how he got named "Dr. Death." When he presented his medical experiments the University asked him to leave the college. In 1961 he published another article discussing transferring blood from cadavers to live patients. In 1970 he became the chief pathologist at the Saratoga General Hospital in Detroit. Only a couple years later he quit pathology and tried to make a movie, but it flopped. He has published many more articles concerning Euthanasia and his views on what should be legal.

The Death Machine

In 1989 he used $30 worth of scrap parts to make a "death machine", at his apartment in Michigan. The first death he was ever present at was on June 4th, 1990, Janet Adkin's. She is a 54 year old female suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Her death happened in his Volkswagen using the "death machine." Only four days later the court enjoins Dr. Kevorkian for aiding in suicides. But in December the court dropped the murder charge in the death of Janet Adkin's. One year later he aided in two more deaths, Marjorie Wantz and Sherry Miller. Marjorie was a 58 year old woman suffering from pelvic pain and Sherry was a 43 year old woman with multiple sclerosis. He performed both of these deaths at a rental cabin near Lake Orion. Marjorie died from the lethal drugs in the suicide machine, and Sherry died from carbon monoxide inhaled from a gas mask.

//Description of how the Death Machine Works// media type="file" key="Rk3ri1ADIsI.mp4" In Trouble with the Law

 In November of 1991 the State Board of Medicine revoked Kevorkian's license to practice medicine in Michigan. In July of 1992 the court dropped the murder charges in the deaths of Marjorie and Sherry. In 1992 the Michigan legislature passes a ban on assisted suicide to take effect on March 30, 1993. In February of 1993 Michigan governor John Engler signed the legislation banning assisted and makes it a four year felony. In September of 1993 he is present at a cancer patients death and is sent to jail on $20,000 bond. But he refuses to pay it. On November 29 1993 he is sent back to jail on a $50,000 bond after being charged in the death of Merian Frederick, 72. December 17 1993, they dropped his bond to $100 but he had to agree not to assist in anymore deaths.

// Resources //

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kevorkian/interviews/index.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kevorkian/aboutk/index.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kevorkian/chronology.html http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9532036/ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec98/suicide_11-24.html

