The 64-year-old American woman died in a secluded forest area near a cabin in Merishausen, a sparsely populated region of Switzerland close to the German border.
The first woman to die using a “suicide pod” in the middle of a Swiss forest was found with mysterious strangulation marks on her neck.
In the first documented case of a Sacro pod being used, questions were raised about the 64-year-old American woman’s cause of death – which is supposed to be a quick and painless process achieved by flooding the lungs with Nitrogen gas.
An autopsy in November 2024 revealed she had strangulation marks on her neck, sparking speculations about her death, raising questions about malfunction or interference according to the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant.
Dr Florian Willet, who was the president at The Last Resort, the organisation behind the pods, later informed police about two and a half minutes into the procedure, the woman’s body appeared to cramp strongly.
He said this was a typical in deaths involving nitrogen. Six and a half minutes after the woman initiated the process, the pod’s iPad reportedly emitted a loud alarm.
At this point Dr Willet, who was on a call with Dr Philip Nitschk said “she’s still alive, Philip.” The alarm stopped 30 minutes after the button was pressed with Dr Willet eventually confirming “she really looks dead.”
Dr Willet was reportedly the only person present at the time of her death and remained in police custody for 70 days.
The pod, designed by Dr Philip Nitschke, founder of Exit International was found in a secluded forest area near a cabin in Merishausen, a rural region of Switzerland close to the German border, BBC reported.
The pod is operated by the Swiss assisted-dying group The Last Resort, and is intended to provide the user with a peaceful death on pressing an internal button. The nitrogen gas is supposed to cause the patient to fall asleep and then die peacefully within minutes due to oxygen deprivation.
Dr Philip Nitschke claimed Dr Willet had suffered psychological trauma following his arrest and detention in connection with the death in Switzerland. The Last Resort said the arrest had left him “broken”. Dr Willet fell from a third floor window back in January and was hospitalised for psychiatric treatment.
Dr Nitschke said Dr Willet died by assisted suicide on May 5, this year.
Swiss Chief Prosecutor Peter Sticher, suggested the woman’s death may not have been as intended, indicating the possibility of “intentional homicide,” however Dr Willet was never charged with any crime.
The report notes the pod was opened and closed several times before the procedure began to verify its seal with one forensic expert testifying in court that the woman had severe injuries to her neck.
The incident was reportedly recorded by two surveillance cameras. De Volkskrant, who reviewed the footage, observed the pod’s internal camera activated twice in quick succession around two minutes after the woman pressed the button, although the camera angle did not clearly show what occurred. Swiss law prohibits assisted suicide if external assistance is involved or if those assisting have any “self-serving motive.”
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