A Texas woman has been arrested for assisting the suicide of her paralyzed ex-husband, following advice from a "right to die" non-profit.
Joseph Cheffo was found dead at his home in Odessa, Texas on Feb. 13. and although assisted suicide is illegal in the state, his ex-wife and primary caretaker, Sarah Regmund, allegedly helped suffocate him, following how-to instructions from the Final Exit Network - a non-profit right to die advocacy group, the Odessa American reported.
Regmund Told Police She Knew Cheffo was Going to Kill Himself and She Didn't Want to Deny Him His Last Wishes
Regmund, 46, told Odessa police that she knew Cheffo was planning on killing himself and had no desire to violate his last wishes, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KOSA.
While executing a search of the home, police recovered rolls of blue painter's tape in the same room where Cheffo died. There were strands of grey hair stuck on the tape that matched that of Cheffo, per the affidavit.
Cops also found a typed suicide note, the victim's passport and a book titled "Final Exit" neatly arranged on a table at the end of his bed. Regmund told police that she printed the note and placed it on the table in Cheffo's stead since he was immobile.
Regmund also admitted to moving a tank of compressed gas into the room, which was connected to the plastic bag taped over Cheffo's head, according to a police report obtained by the Odessa American. That same day, Regmund was arrested and charged in connection with aiding in Cheffo's suicide.
Regmund was Given Instructions by Final Exit Network
During an interview with police, Regmund explained that she had been in touch with the Final Exit Network, whose founder authored the book found near Cheffo's bed. She claimed that the nonprofit's representatives showed Cheffo how to kill himself the same day he died, according to the Odessa American.
It's not immediately clear, however, if the representatives were present when Cheffo took his own life. Regmund told police that she remained at his bedside and held his hand after he turned the gas on, the outlet reported. Following Final Exit Network's advice, Regmund waited a couple of hours before reporting Cheffo's death to police.
Cheffo Became Bedridden After Consuming a Prescribed Antibacterial Drug
Cheffo, a former teacher with "a passion for fitness" developed Fluoroquinolone toxicity after taking a prescribed antibacterial drug. The condition left him left him bedridden and unable to operate a wheelchair on his own.
In a video shared on Facebook in April, Cheffo explained that his ex-wife had moved in with him to be his full-time caretaker. He said, at the time, he was "getting a little functioning back" but still struggled to "do almost anything." In the comments section, he also posted that he was a "proponent of assisted dying" and "[wanted] to leave."
The fundraiser was the family's last-ditch effort to help him. The funds they collected were to be donated toward a $30,000 stem cell therapy regimen with a regenerative medicine company in Los Angeles. The GoFundMe raked in just $1,365.
