Atlanta 6/4/2011 1:00:50 AM
News / People

Dr Death Jake Kevorkian Dies at 83

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who was an advocate for assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, has died. Kevorkian passed away early Friday morning at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. His attorney, Mayer Morganroth, said it appears the 83-year-old suffered a pulmonary thrombosis, which is when a blood clot from the leg travels to the heart. Kevorkian was also suffering from heart and kidney problems.

“It was peaceful. He didn’t feel a thing,” Morganroth told the Detroit Free Press of Kevorkian’s death.

Kevorkian’s advocacy for assisted suicide earned him the name “Dr. Death.” He was admitted to helping some 130 people suffering from various illnesses commit suicide in the 90s. Kevorkian’s medical license was revoked in 1999 after he convicted of second-degree murder for euthanizing Tom Youk, who suffered from Lou Gehrigs disease. Kevorkian spent eight-and-a-half years in prison.

After his release, he was interviewed by 60 Minute’s Mike Wallace and insisted that he did not regret his actions. “Why would I regret that? That's like asking a veterinarian, 'Do you regret helping that person's animal?'” he said.

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