Jack Kevorkian Seeks Book, Movie Deal for His Euthanasia Autobiography

Bioethics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 13, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Jack Kevorkian Seeks Book, Movie Deal for His Euthanasia Autobiography Email this article
Printer friendly page

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 13, 2004

Detroit, MI (LifeNews.com) — Jack Kevorkian, the infamous "Dr. Death" who was claims to have killed more than 130 patients via assisted suicide, is shopping around his autobiography to publishers. The potential book would cover his life and discuss the nationwide euthanasia controversy his actions sparked.

The Life of Dr. Death, which Dr. Kevorkian would write with two associates, could also find its way to theaters if a proposed movie deal is also accepted.

According to the Vigliano Literary Agency, which is helping Kevorkian with the proposal, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple has agreed to direct a feature film version of the book.

Kopple produced and directed Harlan County USA, winner of the 1977 Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary. In 1991 Ms. Kopple received a second Academy Award for her non-fiction film, American Dream, which explored the human cost of the rapid economic decline of America’s industrial heartland.

Kevorkian was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder for killing a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease and sentenced for 10 to 25 years in prison. He is not eligible for parole until 2007. In June, he was denied a request for a new trial.

Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian’s attorney, told the Associated Press that he plans to appeal the court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"If it wasn’t Kevorkian’s name on the case, there would have been a different decision," Morganroth claimed.

Kevorkian was convicted of killing Thomas Youk, a Detroit-area man whose death was shown on the television show "60 Minutes." Kevorkian argued the murder was a mercy killing, but appeals of his conviction were denied.