Following the arrest of four people in Switzerland on Tuesday, Sept. 24, after the first known use of a so-called “suicide pod,” an Alabama woman’s accusations against the company behind the device are resurfacing. The woman who would have reportedly been the first person to use the Sarco capsule claimed the company behind it, Last Resort, which is Exit International’s Swiss affiliate, swindled her out of her life savings before she took her business elsewhere to end her life.
The accuser, who went by the alias Jessica Campbell and suffered from several debilitating ailments, said that she spent $40,000 to travel to Switzerland in May of 2024 for an assisted suicide with Last Resort. Campbell claims that when she arrived a “media circus” ensued and she was subjected to “embarrassing” interviews ahead of her scheduled death in the Sarco capsule.
According to Campbell, a pair of top executives from the company also pressured her into paying for their groceries and footing restaurant bills. She says that one of them told her, “You’re going to die anyway, so you don’t need your money anymore.”
When she finally backed out of using the Sarco suicide pod, Campbell said that she was abandoned and left without any money.
“I sacrificed everything, used up all my resources and cut off all ties, believing Sarco would offer me a peaceful end,” she wrote in a letter.
Campbell then sought out another Swiss-based assisted suicide group and ended her life in July 2024. Last Resort denied the allegations after they came out, saying that it is “not plausible” that the organization would exploit its customers as Campbell claims.
If you or some you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for help.