In June 2008, a 58-year-old resident of Cumming, Georgia passed away from helium intoxication. Police suspected assisted suicide, and the Georgia Burea of Investigation launched a probe into the Final Exit Network.

Today, the GBI’s investigation led to the arrests of Atlanta resident Claire Behr, age 76, and a Kennesaw man, 63-year-old Thomas E. Goodwin. Authorities in Maryland also charged two others they believe to be part of the alleged assisted suicide network: Baltimore residents Dr. Lawrence Egbert, age 81 and 60-year-old Nicholas Alec Sheridan.

The GBI became involved after Cumming Police and the Forsyth County coroner suspected the unnamed suicide in Cumming had received assistance and relatives found material related to Final Exit in the man’s possession.

According to Atlanta’s ABC affiliate, WSB TV, the arrestees all “have been charged on warrants out of Forsyth County with assisted suicide, tampering with evidence, and violation of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.”

The GBI performed a sting to determine how Final Exit works.

Members apparently pay a fee and fill out an application. Then they are assigned “Exit Guides.” Exit Guides instruct the new member on the materials they should purchase; these include helium tanks and a hood the Network calls an “exit bag.”

The day of the member’s suicide, they are attended by the Exit Guide and a Senior Exit Guide.

Atlanta’s Fox affiliate [link] interviewed a GBI official on-air, and he reported that the suicide process put an emphasis on the “assisted” portion of the term. The GBI believes that Final Exit guides actually hold the suicide down to complete the act even if the person in question has second thoughts.

WSB reports that Final Exit is under investigation in 7 states: “Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Colorado, and Montana.”

More arrests may be made soon.

Assisting someone with learning a method of suicide could be considered a debatable topic to some. Allegedly holding the dying person down after they have second thoughts and begin to struggle seems like it’d be a pretty clear-cut case of homicide.

Here’s how the Final Exit Network explains what they do:

We believe the needs of those who are suffering are paramount. We applaud the work of organizations that seek legislative action to strengthen our right to die a peaceful and painless death at the time and place of our choosing. However, we feel that legislative change will not come soon enough for the many people who need help NOW and in the interim!

This is definitely a developing story, and its scope dictates you’ll hear a lot more about it in the days to come. This entry may be updated and revised.