First Person Who Died In Sarco Suicide Pod May Have Been Strangled: Report

The first documented case of a woman using the Sarco “suicide pod” in Switzerland has taken a new turn. An autopsy reportedly found strangulation marks on her neck, sparking speculations about her death. This has led to questions about a possible equipment malfunction or interference, according to the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant.

The 64-year-old American woman died on September 23 in a secluded forest area near a cabin in Merishausen, a sparsely populated region of Switzerland close to the German border, BBC reported.

The Sarco pod, designed by Dr Philip Nitschke, founder of Exit International, is intended to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives. Operated by the Swiss assisted-dying group The Last Resort, the pod requires the user to press an internal button, which releases nitrogen gas, causing them to fall asleep and then die peacefully within minutes due to oxygen deprivation.

Swiss police were notified and later found the woman's body inside the pod. Dr Florian Willet, president of The Last Resort, was reportedly the only person present at the time of her death and remains in custody.

Swiss Chief Prosecutor Peter Sticher, leading the investigation, has suggested that the woman's death may not have been as intended, indicating the possibility of “intentional homicide,” according to de Volkskrant. The report highlights that strangulation could be a factor, raising questions about the circumstances of her death.

The report notes that the pod was opened and closed several times before the procedure began to verify its seal. 

A forensic expert testified in court that the woman had severe injuries to her neck, which has further fuelled suspicion.

The incident was reportedly recorded by two surveillance cameras – one inside the pod, focused on the control button, and another mounted on a nearby tree. These cameras were motion-activated and not set to record continuously. De Volkskrant, who reviewed the footage, observed that the 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.

According to the report, Dr Willet later informed police that about two and a half minutes into the procedure, the woman's body appeared to cramp strongly – a reaction he described as 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, prompting Dr Willet, who was on a call with Dr Philip Nitschke, to say, “She's still alive, Philip.” The alarm ceased after some time, and roughly 30 minutes after pressing the button, Dr Willet reportedly confirmed, “She really looks dead.”

The Swiss authorities have yet to confirm these findings publicly, and the prosecutor's office has refrained from making an official statement on the ongoing investigation.

Swiss law prohibits assisted suicide if external assistance is involved or if those assisting have any “self-serving motive.”