Jack Kevorkian Biography

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, also known as "Dr. Death," became well known in the 1990s for his fight to make assisted suicide a right for every person. A retired pathologist who devised a "suicide machine," Dr. Kevorkian worked to help terminally ill people end their lives. His belief was that people have a right to avoid a dreadful, lingering death by ending their own lives with the help of a physician who can ensure a peaceful death.

Jack Kevorkian, the only son of Armenian refugees, was born in Pontiac, Michigan on May 26, 1928. He graduated from high school when he was seventeen years old and then went on to college and medical school. Kevorkian graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1952 earning a medical degree with a specialty in pathology.

He earned the nickname "Dr. Death" early in his career when as a pathology resident he photographed the eyes of dying patients for experiments. He also suggested carrying out medical experiments on death-row inmates. In particular, Kevorkian wanted to harvest organs from death-row inmates and then transplant the organs. As a result, he was asked to leave his residency. In 1970, after publishing several controversial papers, Dr. Kevorkian became Chief Pathologist at Saratoga General Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He remained in this position until the late 1970's when he quit his career in pathology.

The 1980's marked the beginning of Dr. Kevorkian dedicating his life to helping terminally ill patients end their lives. In 1988 he built a "suicide machine" which enabled people to commit suicide by pulling a switch that released a series of drugs into their system. After Michigan authorities revoked Dr. Kevorkian's medical license in 1991, he no longer had access to prescription drugs; therefore, he used carbon monoxide in assisting the suicides.

In June of 1990, Dr. Kevorkian assisted his first patient, Janet Adkins of Portland, Oregon to commit suicide. She was 54 years old and suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Several days later a Michigan judge enjoined Kevorkian from assisting in any more suicides. In December of 1990, Kevorkian's murder charges in the death of Adkins were dismissed. Since then, Kevorkian helped over 130 people die.

Legislatures and prosecutors attempted to thwart Kevorkian's mission and put an end to assisted suicide. In 1993, the Michigan Legislature enacted a law that made it a felony to knowingly provide a person with the means to commit suicide. The law made it a four-year felony to aid in a suicide. The Michigan Supreme Court determined in December of 1994 that the law was constitutional and ruled that assisting a suicide is illegal in Michigan. Dr. Kevorkian faced trial four times for charges of assisted suicide. Three of the trials resulted in acquittals and one was declared a mistrial.

However, in March 1999, Dr. Kevorkian faced trial for murder charges rather than for assisted suicide. Thomas Youk was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, and he could not administer the drugs to himself; therefore, Dr. Kevorkian administered the drugs to Youk. Dr. Kevorkian had documented the death on video, and the tape was aired on the television show "60 Minutes," on November 22, 1998. Kevorkian was charged with first-degree murder for the death of Thomas Youk on November 25, 1998.

Geoffrey Fieger, an attorney in Michigan, represented Kevorkian in all of his previous cases; but in this last trial, Kevorkian insisted on defending himself. The judge ruled that the testimony of Thomas Youk's widow and brother were both inadmissible, and the case went to the jury to decide without Kevorkian putting forth any evidence. On March 26, 1999, the jury found Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 10-25 years in prison, eligible for parole after six years. Kevorkian admitted to helping over 130 people end their lives; however, he maintained that he was innocent of killing anyone.

Recent Updates

October 19, 2004: Oscar-winning director Barbara Kopple will begin shooting a documentary about Kevorkian in 2005. It will be based on an unpublished manuscript by Kevorkian's` associates Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie. Source: Associated Press, http://customwire.ap.org, October 19, 2004.