The Nation : Ailing Man Allowed to Die

Murray Putzer, a paralyzed stroke victim whose wish to die was cleared last month by the New Jersey state Supreme Court, died six days after his feeding tube was removed, his family’s lawyer said. Putzer, 65, died at his West Caldwell, N.J., home Thursday, making him the first person affected by the June 24 Supreme Court decision to allow people suffering from terminal illnesses to remove artificial life support systems, lawyer Bardin C. Levavy said. Dolores Putzer removed her husband’s feeding tube on July 11, one day after an Essex County judge granted her permission based on the Supreme Court decision. Public disclosure of Putzer’s death was withheld at the request of his wife, Levavy said.