Kevorkian Aids in Woman’s Suicide

DETROIT — Jack Kevorkian helped a woman kill herself and left the body at a hospital Thursday, hours after police confronted the two at a hotel in an apparent attempt to thwart her suicide.

Kevorkian dropped off the body at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., handing emergency room workers a paper identifying her as Nancy DeSoto, 55, of Bourbonnais, Ill.

His attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said DeSoto had Lou Gehrig’s disease and committed suicide Thursday morning. He would not say how or where. Kevorkian, DeSoto’s husband and a friend of DeSoto were present, Fieger said.

Medical Examiner L.J. Dragovic said DeSoto died of carbon monoxide poisoning and ruled the death a homicide, as he has done with other suicides attended by Kevorkian. DeSoto’s death brings Kevorkian’s toll to 43.