An 85-year-old former doctor from Arizona, Stephen Miller, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his involvement in the assisted suicide of a woman in an upstate New York motel. The plea agreement, finalized on Tuesday, spares Miller from prison, sentencing him instead to five years of probation.
Assisted Suicide Leads to Manslaughter Charge
Miller was charged with second-degree manslaughter earlier this year under a New York law that allows for such a charge when someone intentionally causes or assists in another person’s suicide. The case revolved around the death of a woman in a Kingston motel, about 80 miles north of New York City, where her body was discovered by housekeeping staff on November 9.
Authorities determined that the woman had died by assisted suicide, leading to Miller’s arrest. He had traveled from his home in Tucson, Arizona, to be with the woman at the time of her death.
Plea Agreement Avoids Prison Sentence
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Miller will not face prison time due to his age and health. His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, emphasized that Miller, who is infirm, did not want to die in prison.
In court, Miller answered Judge Bryan Rounds’ questions in a soft voice, confirming his guilt under the legal definition of manslaughter. When asked if he was pleading guilty because he was indeed guilty of second-degree manslaughter, Miller responded, “By your definition, yes.”
Miller’s Role in the Woman’s Death
Lichtman described Miller’s involvement as providing comfort and “very slight technical assistance” to a woman who had suffered from debilitating pain for decades. The woman had sought out Miller due to his work with the advocacy group Choice and Dignity, which supports legal assisted suicide.
“Technically, he violated the law,” Lichtman told reporters. “We accept that, but with the understanding that morally, Stephen Miller did nothing wrong.”
The Legal Landscape of Assisted Suicide
While several states allow medical aid in dying, New York is not one of them. Efforts to legalize assisted suicide in the state have stalled in the Legislature, making cases like Miller’s both legally and morally contentious.
