Two In Atlanta Charged With Assisting Suicide

ATLANTA --- The GBI arrested two people who allegedly helped a 58-year old Cumming man commit suicide. The man's death triggered an investigation into "The Final Exit Network", a suicide support group based in Kennesaw. Two other people were charged in Maryland.

GBI Special Agents served four search warrants in the metro Atlanta area Wednesday. Twelve other search warrants were served in seven other states. All the locations had some sort of affiliation with The Final Exit Network, according to the GBI.

The two arrested in Atlanta were the President of the Network, 63-year old Thomas Goodwin of Kennesaw and Punta Gorda, Florida, and his assistant 76-year old Claire Blehr of Atlanta.

They were arrested in a sting operation set up by the GBI. An undercover agent posing as a person who wanted to die paid a 50-dollar membership fee to join The Final Exit Network. After going through a thorough application process the agent was visited by an "Exit Guide" according to the GBI. The undercover agent was instructed to purchase two helium tanks of a specific size and brand and a specific type of hood known as an "Exit Bag". "It's a hood in essence that you put over your head where the helium is fed into the hood and you suffocate," said GBI spokesperson John Bankhead.
Both Goodwin and Blehr visited the undercover agent Wednesday and were arrested.

The organizations web site says one of their goals is "To serve people who are suffering intolerably from an irreversible condition which has become more than they can bear."

Bankhead said once the hood is on, the two Exit Guides hold the victim's arms down so they can't remove the hood. "So even though they might ask you are your sure about this, once it starts, there's no turning back," he said.

The GBI searched Goodwin's business in Kennesaw, a mobile medical service called OHR-Medical Dimensions, and a home that he owns in Kennesaw. They also searched a home in DeKalb County that Claire Blehr lives in.

Neighbors at Goodwin's Kennesaw home said he hasn't been there for a while. The word in the neighborhood was he supported assisted suicide. One neighbor said "I'm shocked; I mean you know I've heard of such a thing, but no I'm shocked I'm surprised."

The investigation was triggered by the death of the 58-year old Cumming man who died on June 19 of last year. Bankhead says his family was suspicious of his death and contacted Cumming Police. Police started looking into it, and found evidence from "The Final Exit Network" in his home. The Final Exit Network website says they only help people with incurable diseases. But, the GBI says the Cumming man had cancer, but it was cured. Bankhead says an autopsy confirmed that.

In addition to the arrests in Georgia, authorities in Maryland assisted GBI agents in charging Dr. Lawrence Egbert, 81, of Baltimore and Nicholas Sheridan, 60, also of Baltimore. Dr. Egbert was described as the Medical Director for the Network.

All four are charged with assisted suicide, a felony, tampering with evidence and a violation of Georgia's RICO Act.