True Crime Friday: Jack Kevorkian, "Jack the Dripper"
Jack Kevorkian was a pathologist who murdered one hundred and thirty patients or even more. He has the monikers of Dr. Death and Jack the Dripper. He believed in Euthanasia and assisted with the suicide of his patients. After his first assisted suicide he went on to perform many others. Kevorkian escaped justice three times before he was convicted of second-degree murder. He was arrested in 1998 for murder after broadcasting the voluntary euthanasia of Thomas Youk. Kevorkian was released on parole on June 1, 2007. He was not allowed to offer advice about participating in or being present at the act of any type of euthanasia to any other person, nor that he promotes or talks about the procedure of assisted suicide.
The Early Childhood of Jack Kevorkian
Murad Jacob Kevorkian was born on May 26, 1928, in the State of Michigan. He was of Armenian descent. His father fled the Armenian genocide eventually reuniting with his brother who lived in Michigan. It would be in Michigan where he met his wife. The couple had Margaret, Murad, and Flora. There are no reports that he had an abusive or neglectful childhood. Although he did harbor resentful regarding the Armenia genocide.When Kevorkian was a child, his parents took him to an Orthodox church weekly. He started questioning the existence of a God, as he believed an all-knowing God would have prevented the Armenian genocide on his extended family. He stopped attending church by the time he was twelve years old. Kevorkian completed his residency training at the University of Michigan Ann Harbor in anatomical and clinical pathology and briefly conducted research on blood transfusion.
The Victims of Jack Kevorkian
- Janet Adkins
- Thomas Youk
- One Hundred Thirty Unknown Patients/Victims
Lady Justice
Kevorkian wrote a series of articles for the German journal Medicine and Law that laid out his thinking on the ethics of euthanasia. Kevorkian started advertising in Detroit newspapers as a physician consultant for euthanasia or death counseling. The State of Michigan revoked Kevorkian's medical license. His medical license was also revoked in California. He was no longer permitted to practice medicine. After his licenses were revoked, he stated, my aim in helping the patient was not to cause death. My aim was to end suffering. It's got to be decriminalized.Kevorkian at one time was considered a hero by some people but to many other he was a glorified killer. The latter impression of him is what is now remembered of his legacy. Jack Kevorkian is now and will forever be known as a serial killer. He preyed upon people in their most vulnerable states. He was a true predator. Jack Kevorkian died on June 3, 2011, at the age of 83 at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.