Swiss suicide pod’s debut turns darker: Doctor raises murder suspicion over victim’s neck injuries

The death of a 64-year-old woman is under criminal investigation as Swiss prosecutors determine whether or not the death was an intentional homicide despite being first thought to be assisted suicide.

The American mother of two, who has not been named, was initially thought to have died inside a capsule called the Sarco in Merishausen, Switzerland, in late September.

Now, a Swiss prosecutor is alleging the woman may have been strangled in an "intentional homicide." A forensic doctor also testified that the woman had, among other things, severe neck injuries.

The Sarco device is a suicide pod meant to allow users to push a button to inject nitrogen gas into the chamber, causing death by suffocation.

The company behind the pod is a firm called the Last Resort. The company commented on the matter, saying, “On Monday 23 September, at approximately 16.01 CEST, a 64-year old woman from the mid-west in the USA died using the Sarco device.”

Co-president of the organization Florian Willet called the woman's death “peaceful, fast and dignified.” He added that it occurred under “a canopy of trees, at a private forest retreat.”

According to LBC, Willet was the only person physically present when the woman died, with Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke reportedly following the process via video call. However, he allegedly did not see the entire process due to technical difficulties.

Willet has been in custody for weeks since the woman's death, originally because the pod is illegal. At the time, Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider told the Swiss parliament that the use of the Sarco was not legal.

Fiona Stewart, member of the advisory board and COO of the Last ResortPhoto by ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images

'She's still alive, Philip.'

The Last Resort has said its program is legal, however, and does not require specific approval because the user presses the button. The company also states that the user must prove sound mental capacity before the act is carried out.

The woman who allegedly took her own life with the machine reportedly did so because of a bone marrow infection.

However, when Willet spoke to Nitschke over the video call, he reportedly told the inventor, "She's still alive, Philip."

The comment reportedly came six and a half minutes after the user pressed the button in the machine.

The court also allegedly heard that Willet was continuously leaning over the Sarco to look inside and was confused by an alarm that may have been a heart-rate monitor.

An unspecified number of people were arrested following the woman's death, likely from the Last Resort company. However, all have since been released except for Willet.

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