First woman to die in 'suicide pod' found with 'unexplained' marks on her body

In a chilling turn of events, the first woman to die using a "suicide pod" in a secluded Swiss forest was discovered with unexplained strangulation marks on her neck.

The 64-year-old American woman's death, which occurred in the first recorded use of a Sacro pod, has caused concern as the process is supposed to be quick and painless. It involves flooding the lungs with Nitrogen gas.

An post-mortem conducted in November 2024 revealed the presence of strangulation marks on her neck, sparking speculation about the circumstances surrounding her death, according to Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant.

Dr Florian Willet, president of The Last Resort, the organisation behind the pods, later informed police the woman's body appeared to cramp strongly two and a half minutes into the procedure.

He noted this was 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, reports the Mirror.

At this point Dr Willet, who was on a call with Dr Philip Nitschk said "she's still alive, Philip".

The alarm ceased 30 minutes after the button was pressed with Dr Willet eventually confirming "she really looks dead".

Dr Willet, reportedly the only person present at the time of her death, remained in police custody for 70 days.

The pod, conceived by Dr Philip Nitschke, founder of Exit International, was discovered in a secluded forest area near a cabin in Merishausen, a rural region of Switzerland close to the German border, according to the BBC.

The device is operated by the Swiss assisted-dying group The Last Resort and is designed to provide the user with a peaceful death upon pressing an internal button. The nitrogen gas is intended to make the patient fall asleep and then peacefully pass away within minutes due to oxygen deprivation.

Dr Philip Nitschke alleged that Dr Willet had endured psychological trauma following his arrest and detention in relation to the death in Switzerland. The Last Resort stated that the arrest had left him "broken".

Dr Willet fell from a third floor window earlier this year in January and was hospitalised for psychiatric treatment.

Dr Nitschke confirmed that Dr Willet died by assisted suicide on 5 May this year.

Swiss Chief Prosecutor Peter Sticher hinted the woman's death may not have gone as planned, suggesting the possibility of "intentional homicide," however, Dr Willet was never charged with any crime.

The report highlights that the pod was opened and closed several times before the procedure started to verify its seal, with one forensic expert testifying in court that the woman had severe injuries to her neck.

The incident was reportedly captured by two surveillance cameras.

De Volkskrant, which examined the footage, noted the pod's internal camera triggered twice in rapid succession approximately two minutes after the woman activated the button, though the camera angle failed to clearly reveal what transpired.

Swiss law forbids assisted suicide if external assistance is provided or if those helping have any "self-serving motive."

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