A Connecticut woman has been criminally charged for trying to help a relative die by suicide because he felt he'd accomplished his life's goals and was “ready to go,” police said.
The woman and the 65-year-old man had a strong belief in the afterlife and agreed that April 13 of this year would be the day of his death, police said in a newly released court affidavit.
For three years, the two had discussed the idea of him dying prematurely to explore “the next stage of the adventure,” according to the affidavit, which did not say whether the man was ill. Police haven't said how the pair was related.
The suicide attempt at a home in Ridgefield, near the New York line in southwestern Connecticut, was unsuccessful. The woman was charged with attempted second-degree manslaughter, a felony carrying one to 10 years in prison upon conviction.
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Assisted suicide has been a controversial issue around the country.
Ten states, not including Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., allow only “medically assisted” suicide, in which dying people with a prognosis of six months or less can end their lives with drugs prescribed by doctors. Earlier this year, Vermont became the first state to change its medically assisted suicide law to allow terminally ill people from out of state to take advantage of it to end their lives.
Connecticut lawmakers have debated proposals for medically assisted suicide several times.
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The Connecticut woman told police that when the man woke up the next morning on April 14 after an attempted medication overdose, she thought it was “a miracle” and believed “God did not want him to die,” so she called 911 to get him medical attention, according to the warrant, which was first obtained and reported on Thursday by Hearst Connecticut Media.
The woman was arrested July 28 and later released. Her lawyer did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday.
The man confirmed the details the woman provided to police, the affidavit says. He said he told his children in March about his plan to die and they “weren't happy about his decision but had left on OK terms after having the discussion,” the affidavit says.
The man had no intent to harm himself further, police said.
