KEVORKIAN AIDS 2 CALIFORNIANS IN SUICIDES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 19, 1993                   TAG: 9302190159
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WATERFORD, MICH.                                LENGTH: Short
KEVORKIAN AIDS 2 CALIFORNIANS IN SUICIDES
Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted two more suicides Thursday, bringing to 15 the number of people he has helped die since 1990.
Kevorkian, an advocate of physician-assisted suicide, has speeded up his work as a March 30 deadline approaches. On that date, a Michigan law making assisting suicide a felony carrying a four-year sentence takes effect.
Jonathon Grenz, 44, of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Martha Ruwart, 41, of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif., died Thursday, said Waterford Township Police Officer Bill Himmelspach.
Grenz had throat cancer and Ruwart had duodenal cancer that had spread to her ovaries, said Geoffrey Fieger, Kevorkian's attorney.
Grenz's cancer forced doctors to remove much of his tongue and part of his neck, said Michael Schwartz, another attorney representing Kevorkian. Surgeons who operated on Ruwart in December said her prognosis was poor, he said.
Grenz and Ruwart inhaled carbon monoxide, the same method used in the other recent suicides, Schwartz said. He said he didn't know how long Kevorkian had been consulting with the two.
He said the patients, not Kevorkian, are the reason for the doctor's stepped-up activity as March 30 nears. Some fear Kevorkian, who has assisted six suicides this month alone, will be jailed and unable to help them if they wait too long.
Keywords:
FATALITY

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB