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Subscribe to RSSAn 88-year-old man who was arrested shortly after the death of his ailing wife on suspicion of aiding in her suicide will not be charged with any crime.
San Diego prosecutors determined that the case against Alan Purdy couldn't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, said Tanya Sierra, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, on Wednesday night.
Margaret Purdy, 84, was found dead in her home with a plastic bag over her head in March, her death ruled a suicide by the county medical examiner. Family said she had becoming increasingly depressed as she battled a series of ailments and injuries in her final years while her husband doted on her.
"She had mentioned for some time that she was under a great deal of pain and that this was a very hard life," the couple's son-in-law, John Muster, said in a telephone interview from Berkeley at the time of the arrest.
The once vibrant woman left a suicide note on her desk after being bedridden in her final years from severe pancreatitis, as well as an autoimmune disease, a crumbling spine and three fractured vertebrae that never healed, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Alan Purdy's sister-in-law, Margot Smith, told The Associated Press Wednesday that it would have been awful if prosecutors had decided to pursue a case.
"I'm absolutely delighted to hear it. He's 88 years old and hard of hearing and he loved his wife dearly," Smith said.
Smith added that Alan Purdy was so hard of hearing that he had trouble making out what authorities were saying to him at the time of his arrest.
"I'm delighted to hear this," Purdy's daughter, Catherine Purdy, a Berkeley psychologist, told The Times. "I feel like justice has finally happened."
The Purdys were close friends for many years and proved a perfect match when they married later in life, relatives said. It was the second marriage for both Purdys, each of whom had outlived their previous spouses, said The Times. Margaret Purdy kept a close eye on her husband, who lost much of his hearing with age. He, in turn, watched after her as she coped with her ailments.
A previous suicide attempt
In Margaret Purdy's last year of life, her pain became so severe that she was unable to get out of bed without Alan's help, and she stopped doing activities that she enjoyed, like painting, The Times reported in May. Three months before her death, when Alan was out of the house, Margaret had attempted to take her life by poisoning herself with carbon monoxide in their garage; Alan came home and pulled her out of the car before she could finish, The Times said.
Alan Purdy, a pilot with a doctorate in biomedical engineering, worked for years at the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Muster said both were "fully functioning mentally."
When paramedics arrived at their home on March 20, Purdy told them his wife had taken 30 sleeping pills crushed in applesauce, then suffocated herself, The Times reported. He told them -- and later deputies -- that he didn't help her, but he also said he didn't try to stop her.
From the bedroom that he and Margaret shared for nearly 15 years, Purdy admitted to The Times, "Yes, I sat beside her as she died. I didn't want her to feel abandoned. I wanted her to know that I loved her."
There is no specific federal law regarding either euthanasia or assisted suicide. All 50 states and the District of Columbia prohibit euthanasia — which is when a doctor actively kills a patient — under general homicide laws.
California is one of three dozen states that have specific laws prohibiting assisted suicides. Seven ban assisted suicide under common law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Why oh, why wasn't she in a hospice care to control her pain?! Thank goodness for the relief of death.
It's another shame the guy was even arrested. Say they didn't actually drag him from his home for booking.
agreed cheetah, the cops and D.A. were fools to begin with.
My God, the man suffered enough, esp if he helped her and watched to make sure it was working. Horrifying.
The prosecutors did not do this out of humanity or the kindness of their heart. These same people will plea down a multiple murder just to get a conviction and improve their "conviction ratio". This one was too hot publically and they would have taken a loss in their numbers. I am glad it did work out for the best......
journal journal - perhaps she wasn't in hospice because the doctors said she had more than 6 months to live, and they couldn't give her enough pain meds to kill the pain because she may have become addicted!
Contrary to popular belief, hospice is NOT just for those with 6 months or less to live. Hospice is available for those that no longer want to continue treatment to prolong their lives. Some people are a part of hospice for numerous years. Hospice does an incredible job of treating pain and treating the soul. They just do not take part in treatments designed to prolong life. This woman would have been a perfect candidate for hospice.
Rainlady are you kidding??
The woman had "severe pancreatitis, as well as an autoimmune disease, a crumbling spine and three fractured vertebrae that never healed"
I think addiction would be the least of her problems...
Maybe it was too expensive for them to afford? Or maybe it was too difficult for her husband to be able to be at Hospice all the time?
I'm not sure why they weren't, but there was probably a reason that makes sense.
Hospice is done in the patients home and as was stated, the requirement is that they do not continue treatment to prolong lives. My Mother was on hospice at my house for a year and they were a god send. She finally ended her suffering by refusing all medications and oxygen.
One should have the right to die with dignity. Our legal and medical ethics live in the dark ages. One should have the right to choose whether one wants to live or die. Oh oh oh...I forgot... it's ok to choose to die if one wants to die for one's country but one cannot choose to die if one wants to end the unbearable pain one lives with daily.
This denial of death, this denial that death is an inherent part of life, this attitude that life is worth any amount of pain to maintain, and this attitude that a life spent in bed by a once vibrant person now with no hope of improvement has got to stop. It's misplaced and totally misguided.
It's preposterous that this poor man was ever arrested. He committed no crime. He did not help her end her suffering. Observing is not helping. That fact notwithstanding, under these circumstances , this woman should have had a right to assistance in ending her life in the most humane fashion. She had a right to control her own life and any laws by society to the contrary are illegitimate.
A plastic bag? When will we be allowed to call a doctor to be put to sleep, (euthanized) like our beloved pets?
I was all impressed that there were no people here espousing the rules of their god. Most impressed folks.
Then... I looked down and saw what News98 posted. It is unfathomable that there are still people on this planet that think that way.
@ rainlady2 #1.5
I know you were being sardonic, but my grandmother was denied certain pain meds for that very reason, she died two weeks later. It all has to do with government bureaucracy and litigation. The doctors are afraid to administer any pain meds because of the DEA, as a chronic pain sufferer, I am treated like an addict or criminal when I ask for certain pain meds to help me sleep, or to get around if I'm having a bad day.
When my grandmother passed away, she was 95. She had some sort of dementia or Alzheimer and couldn't remember anything, but the doctors were still reluctant to let her go. They were concerned one of her relatives, a distant cousin or great grand child would sue, even though my mother and Aunt assured them that would not be the case.
The cops are trained to react to certain instances (unfortunately, they can not be trained for EVERY eventuality) and because of previous events, the just have to arrest everybody, (Martin/Zimmerman) or else they get criticized or sued. The Prosecutor is just another flunky in the system (or treated as such) and has very little lee way given the laws the legislature hands down, although this guy found a good excuse (not enough evidence), some other government drone may not have been as thoughtful {Google--usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/08/13185101-mercy-killing-or-murder-attorney-says-ohio-man-accused-in-hospital-shooting-acted-out-of-love?}
@ sandra-brooks #1.13
What?! and deny doctors and hospitals the opportunity to over charge the persons estate and medicare (taxpayers). How mean and cruel you are to take the food from the very doctor's mouth. ;-)
The whole GD system needs an overhaul, and until we can get real leaders (and not some puke politicians like Obama or Romney) at both the State and Federal levels, it won't change.
And I agree with others in here, "The right to death with dignity, is as much a right as the right to life with dignity". (just don't ask me to pay for it)(either one, your life or your death)
@ rainlady2
your points are dead on. The FEDs have messed up extreme pain management no end and I can easily believe Doctors will simiply not risk their License.
All 50 states? Check out Oregon and Washingtinton states. They will even will even prescribe the drugs for assisted suicide/euthanasia. Maybe the author is cutting it short by stating "actively kills a patient" since in both these states the doctor doesn't administer the drugs, only prescribes for the patient to take home.
amazing a D.A. with a little common sense.
sorry for your loss Mr. Purty
Rest wiothout pain Margarette.
Absolutely right, Scooter Tramp. A DA with common sense here in California. Who'd a thunk it.
Every now and then you can find a lawyer/DA with a heart.
ia.scootertramp----i live in san diego and this d.a. shows poor judgement in choosing who to prosecute. if she thought she could win he'd be up on charges. young woman recently stabbed to death by boyfriend-he fled to mexico. prior to stabbing she filed charges against him for a previous beating--d.a. refused to prosecute the man-''not enough evidence''. da finally got the evidence she needed-a dead body of a 19 year old. killer extradited from mexico and has pled guilty. da should stick to prosecuting crimes with real victims. the man loved his wife and stopped her suffering.
My very sincere condolences Mr. Purdy. Losing a mate is hard, having the fortitude to stay by her while she committed suicide shows the level of love you had for Margaret.
journal journal
Sometimes it isn't just the pain, but the knowledge that it will only get worse that is the final factor. Even in a medically induced coma, doctors will not tell people that the patient feels no pain because they don't know. But it's easier for the people around to believe there is no pain.
I'm sure that's true but there's ways to control pain without resorting to induced comas. I'm sure there's more to this story, beyond the pain. Lots of people grow old and die without slipping into a suicidal depression. Everyone has to get old and die, but personally, I would rather go out happy rather than depressed.
JJ, it mentioned she had an auto-immune disease so who knows what other ways she was suffering. I have MS, and I can guarantee that suicide/euthanasia is something I would seriously consider if my condition deteriorated significantly. It isn't just pain, it's the quality of life and the indignity. When you are suffering greatly, there is very little (if any) happiness to find.
JournalJournal- Give it a rest, I don't think anybody wants to hear it anymore, the woman killed herself because the physical pain of her existence was intolerable. So, when you are in horrific pain and are old and can't do anything about it, take some antidepressants and see what they do for the physical PAIN. If it makes you happy to suffer in the body then feel free to do so.
What is a sin is allowing people to live in suffering so severe that ending their lives with a plastic bag is the only way they can see to end the pain. We need an assisted suicide law to permit people in these awful circumstances to leave this world with dignity. If your religion prohibits suicide, then don't commit suicide, but using your religion to deny others a way to die with dignity and decency is a bigger sin than suicide. If your god doesn't like suicide, let your god punish it.
My condolences to the Purdy family. I know what you must be going through.
We need better mechanisms to deal with end-of-life issues. Suicide is not a sin nor a mental illness in cases like these, but we have no legal framework for doing what needs to be done. You shouldn't be able to force someone to live if they don't want to.
Trying to save lives - and to keep people from killing themselves - is a very "human" and noble thing. So is trying to alleviate suffering. I see no easy answer here. My own mother was once so sick that she said she wanted to die, and she asked my brother to help her to that end. He refused, she recovered, and is now fine. Not the case with all seriously people of course, but I fear - even with legal safeguards in place re: assisted suicide, - that "granny" might get a little push from her eager heirs in making an "end my life" decision that they would benefit from. Medicine makes us well - and it can also keep us alive when we probably shouldn't be. We have the impetus to preserve life, and in doing so, can sometimes prolong pain. NO easy answer.
The couple could have moved to Oregon where they allow physician assisted suicide.
I was speaking of the pros and cons of assisted suicide in general, not of this couple specifically.
Physician assisted suicide seems to have worked well in Oregon, Washington and Montana, although the hurdles to use it need to be lowered substantially. For example, this woman likely wouldn't have qualified under Oregon's law since her prognosis wasn't terminal within 6 months.
It also works very well in other countries which have it.
Niolaus makes a good point: there is no easy answer for this situation. When my brother-in-law was dying of lung cancer, he wanted every last minute of life, pain or not. My mother, when breast cancer returned for the fifth time, decided the sickness and other effects of the medicine were too great compared with her quality of life and longevity.
Which was the right path? I am not here to judge, that isn't my role. My role is to support, as Mr. Purdy did, those whom I love.
So, in that way, I would support, as skrekk as noted, assisted suicide. But with, as Nikolaus cautions, caveats.
No one should live in such pain. A person knows, when they can't handle it anymore.
Agreed. Also, it isn't as if she was a young person who still had her entire life in front of her. She had lived a good life and it was time to move on.
Keeping in mind that there are some Christians who believe in the philosophy that "God never sends us anything we cannot bear."
I would not believe in a God who would torment someone like that, and I think that most Christians would agree with me.
Was her pain being addressed? or was she simply brushed aside because no medical professional could "fix" her? She obviously was not terminal.
That was the ultimate act of love. It's a shame the authorities couldn't see that from the start.
Man, can I do that to, whoops I mean for, my wife?
All kidding aside, it's horrible that in the U.S. we don't have a more humane right to death policy.
people should have the right to die! church and state only make money from foolish laws!
Every once in a while there is a story where true justice prevails. The sad thing is that the DA even considered arresting this man in the first place.
Suicide is NOT a sin, period! Those who profess to be Christian (or other religion for that fact) need to do some serious research and wake up to the fact the in the 13th century King Constantine "decided" that the world according to him should be Christian ~ and so it began. Christians should read about the crusades if they wish to know about sin ~ killing millions of people, including babies, in order to make everyone subject to Christianity.
As a former so called Christian, it took me many years to realize that I was being force fed the garbage the churches spew out ~ religion has only one real purpose ~ to control the masses and it does it quite well. The money keeps rolling in because the guilt people into believing they'll go to hell if they don't believe and give.
Let's decide to allow people to die without pain and with the dignity we all deserve and stop the insanity of guilt or sin. Condolences to this family.
13th century??? Really....
pretty sure that was the 3rd century, not the 13th. but i could be wrong...
Actually, it was 3d Century when Christianity became the State Religion of Ancient Rome - and it's gone downhill from there ;-)
It was the 3rd century. More people were killed during the crusades and the Spanish inquisition - millions over time. Constantine was pretty benign comparatively. A few Christians may have been fed to the lions in Roman times but they more than made up for it later. They especially liked to take it out on women - witch hunts specifically. This happened in the middle ages and then again during the Protestant reformation. Christianity has a very, very bloody corrupt history. Many of the popes had numerous illegitimate children. Church officials were heavily involved with government and religion was used as a tool to control the masses. Not pretty......
The DA was legally bound to check it out - thankfully they came up with the same conclusion most of us did.
It's crazy. We have the decency to put a dog or cat out of it's misery when it's suffering but a human? They just have to contiunue to suffer. If a person wants to end their life because of horrible chronic pain they should be allowed to with a doctors assistance. I'm so tired of people saying "God never gives us more than we can bear." Apparently He does. It's time to start letting people end their lives in dignity not in great suffering.
Bless them both...she's finally in no pain and he can finally live the rest of his life not watching her suffer.
Sweet Story <3
Some people do not have the will to live when they are in extreme pain and can barely take care of themselves.
I find it odd that the medical field tries so hard to ensure that people remain alive well past the point of no return. I hope that she was able to pass without too much pain and I hope that when I reach that point society no longer has a stigma on people who feel it is their time to go.
He's only guilty of love and compassion. She's gone home, so let's move on with our lives.
It is a crime to let your pets suffer, and a crime to not let people... So confusing.
I guess he is lucky he didn't help her get an abortion. The GOP would be writing a new bill.....
If there is a mental health foundation that works to help people like you.. please let us know. WE would like to make a contribution.
Now with obamacare.. the lady would not have made it past 70 thanks those Big Brother Obama's Mercy Care. Still want to inject politics into everything?
This is what I don't get. Mind you I am not a democrat but why is it that republicans want the government out of big business but they want to tell me what to do with my vagina? No reform for Wall Street or Big Business but reform for my uterus. Mercy care is alive and well and has been around a lot longer than Obama. I worked in more than a few hospitals and these measures that you object to have been around for a long, long time. For your information anyone and I mean anyone can request that they NOT be resuscitated for any reason. It's called a DNR order. I've seen them on plenty of charts. What next? Will they make living wills illegal?
But hospitals don't always honor the request.
IcdMarie, would it be asking too much to stay on topic? You make Shiva start talking about vaginas and stuff like that. I SURE hope none of this poor lady's family reads any of this baloney! My goodness they are greiving a loss & celebrating the ending of their loved one's suffering. Use some other topic as a launch pad for your politicing!
ProudAmericanVeteran - You said it!!
You are misinformed. In fact it is the GOP who is the actual compassionate party. I know you will find this hard to believe but government is not always the answer. In fact - it is rarely the answer.
What a sad story... I hope I do not end my life in so much pain... Prolonging life artificially is perhaps a greater sin than ending it prematurely.
It is such a difficult issue to decide. We are against suicide however who cannot feel sympathy for this woman's pain? The question is.. who decides. If we were to support euthanasia and quality of life who would choose what is a legitimate claim and who is suffering from depression.
This family has suffered enough. Let them have closure.
What do you mean 'we' are against? I'm not - it someone wants to go, that's their choice. They should be able to die on their terms. The government legislating life is stupid - my life belongs to me, it should be my choice whether I want to continue living it or not, no one else's...every person should have that right.
and imagine the husband's emotional pain and the guts and love it would take to decide to let the person you love end their life. sad story.
I agree, it is a very tough issue. Ultimately individuals are free to decide how they live and how they die. We just need to make sure we are making a wise choice.
Sleepinsadie - It appears that the "we" being referred to is society or government (aka lawmakers). It's lawmakers, presumably listening to constituents, that write law concerning such matters. I think also that what is at issue here is not suicide (kinda hard to prosecute someone for that) but "assisted" suicide. That, on the other hand, is currently prosecutable (the assister, that is). The MORAL correctness of it, however, is harder to determine because not everyone follows the same MORAL COMPASS in their lives. All society can currently do, therefore, is apply criminal statutes currently on the books. If enough people want it to be different, get the laws changed via state and federal legislatures!