Overview

• Dr. Willet co-led The Last Resort and partnered with inventor Philip Nitschke to promote the 3D-printed Sarco euthanasia pod.
• He was arrested in September 2024 after a 64-year-old American woman died in the Sarco pod near Merishausen and prosecutors noted alleged strangulation marks.
• Swiss authorities held him for 70 days on suspicion of aiding suicide and possible intentional homicide before dropping the homicide allegation in December 2024.
• Following his release, he experienced acute psychological trauma, underwent two psychiatric hospitalisations and sustained serious injuries in a January fall.
• On May 5, 2025, he ended his life via an assisted suicide service in Cologne, highlighting the toll of prolonged legal scrutiny on advocacy figures.