▁patient ▁Ed ith ▁Alice ▁Mor rell — for ▁whose ▁murder ▁he ▁was ▁tried ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 — had ▁wanted ▁to ▁die . ▁He ▁was ▁controvers ial ly ▁found ▁not ▁guilty ▁but ▁later ▁sus pected ▁of ▁murder ing ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 6 3 ▁of ▁his ▁patients . ▁ ▁Att empt s ▁to ▁legal ize ▁assist ed ▁suic ide ▁in ▁various ▁US ▁states ▁have ▁generally ▁failed ▁in ▁recent ▁years . ▁ ▁Washington ▁state ▁is ▁a ▁notable ▁exception . ▁ ▁Washington ▁legal ized ▁assist ed ▁suic ide ▁with ▁a ▁law ▁that ▁took ▁effect ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁becoming ▁the ▁second ▁state , ▁after ▁Oregon , ▁to ▁have ▁done ▁so . ▁ ▁California , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁rejected ▁the ▁practice ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Furthermore , ▁Massachusetts ▁had ▁also ▁rejected ▁the ▁practice ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁O pp osition ▁to ▁assist ed ▁suic ide ▁legal ization ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁organizations ▁including ▁the ▁California ▁Medical ▁Association , ▁dis ability ▁rights ▁organizations , ▁faith - based ▁organizations , ▁and ▁Lat ino ▁and ▁civil ▁rights ▁groups . ▁ ▁Exception al ▁cases ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁a ▁Maryland ▁entrepr ene ur ▁named ▁Sh aron ▁L op at ka ▁arranged ▁for ▁her ▁own ▁tort ure ▁and ▁str ang ulation ▁over ▁the ▁Internet . ▁In ▁