Grand Jury Indicts Right-to-Die Group, 4 Members for Assisting Suicide of Apple Valley Woman

A Dakota County Grand Jury has indicted a national nonprofit right-to-die group, as well as four of its members, for their alleged roles in the 2007 suicide of an Apple Valley woman.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced Monday that the indictments allege that Apple Valley resident Doreen Dunn, who was 57 at the time, "decided to end her life with the advice, encouragement or assistance of an organization known as the Final Exit Network." 

"She hid this fact from her family and when her body was found on May 30, 2007 by her husband, it appeared to him, the Dakota County Medical Examiner, and the that her death was from natural causes," a statement from the Dakota County Attorney's Office says. Dunn suffocated herself using helium and a plastic bag.

Minnesota law makes it a felony for anyone to aid another person in committing suicide, the statement says. Final Exit Network says this type of law is unconstitutional, but, the statement says, "the laws enacted by the Minnesota Legislature are presumed to be constitutional until such time as the appellate courts of our state rule otherwise."

The charges through grand jury indictment are as follows, according to the statement:

  1. Final Exit Network, Inc.

• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide – a felony
• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide (Aiding or Abetting) – a felony
• Interference With A Death Scene – a gross misdemeanor
• Interference With A Death Scene (Aiding or Abetting) – a gross misdemeanor 

  2. Lawrence Deems Egbert, age 84 of Baltimore, MD

• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide – a felony
• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide (Aiding or Abetting) – a felony
• Interference With A Death Scene – a gross misdemeanor
• Interference With A Death Scene (Aiding or Abetting) – a gross misdemeanor 

  3. Jerry D. Dincin, age 81 of Highland Park, IL

• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide – a felony
• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide (Aiding or Abetting) – a felony
• Interference With A Death Scene – a gross misdemeanor
• Interference With A Death Scene (Aiding or Abetting) – a gross misdemeanor 

  4. Roberta L. Massey, age 66 of Bear, DE

• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide – a felony
• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide (Aiding or Abetting) – a felony
• Interference With A Death Scene (Aiding or Abetting) – a gross misdemeanor

  5. Thomas Edmund "Ted" Goodwin, age 65 of Punta Gorda, FL

• Assisting Another To Commit Suicide (Aiding or Abetting) – a felony
• Interference With A Death Scene (Aiding or Abetting) – a gross misdemeanor 

The full grand jury indictment and statement from the Dakota County Attorney's Office are attached. 

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