Jack was well-known for many accomplishments and attributes. He was an avid oil painter, composer and jazz musician. He was a renowned pathologist, and a die-hard (pun intended) right-to-die activist. The Michigan-born doctor claims to have helped over 130 people with assisted suicide. His Thanatron ("death machine") allowed terminally ill individuals to press a button that would administer a fatal drug.
Kevorkian went on trial several times for his assisted suicides. His practices incited prosecutors to filed murder charge against him, and he ultimately had his medicine license revoked. In 1999, Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to a 10-25 year life sentence. He served 8 of those years, and was released on parole in June of 2007.
