Assisting Persons Can Have an Agenda

Harold Shipman, MD

Persons assisting a suicide or euthanasia can have an agenda. Consider Graham Morant, recently convicted of counseling his wife to kill herself in Australia. Per the court, his motive was life insurance.[1] Consider also Tammy Sawyer, trustee for Thomas Middleton in Oregon. Two days after his death by legal assisted suicide, she sold his home and deposited the proceeds into bank accounts for her own benefit.[2]

Medical professionals too can have an agenda. Michael Swango, MD, now incarcerated, got a thrill from killing his patients.[3] Consider also Harold Shipman, a doctor in the UK, who not only killed his patients, but stole from them and in one case made himself a beneficiary of the patient’s will.[4]

Footnotes

[1]  R v Morant [2018] QSC 251, Order, 11/02/18, p. 11, paragraph 78, https://archive.sclqld.org.au/qjudgment/2018/QSC18-251.pdf (“you counselled and aided your wife to kill herself because you wanted to get your hands on the 1.4 million [life insurance payout]”)
[2]  KTVZ.com, “Sawyer Arraigned on State Fraud Charges,” 07/14/11, in the Appendix at page 9.
[3]  Charlie Leduff, “Prosecutors Say Doctor Killed to Feel a Thrill,” The New York Times, 09/07/2000 (“Basically, Dr. Swango liked to kill people. By his own admission in his diary, he killed because it thrilled him”), attached in the Appendix at pages 10-12. See also: CBSNEWS.COM STAFF, “Life in Jail for Poison Doctor, July 12, 2000.
[4]  David Batty, “Q & A: Harold Shipman,” The Guardian, 08/25/05, attached in the Appendix at pages 13 through 15. See also Fiona Guy, “Healthcare Serial Killers: Doctors and Nurses Who Kill,” Crime Traveller, (2015, Sept 09), excerpts in the Appendix at pages 16-19.