Attorney: OC Woman Accused In Assisted Suicide Was Unaware Vet Wanted To Die

LAGUNA WOODS (CBS) — An attorney representing a Laguna Woods woman accused in the assisted suicide of a World War II veteran says his client had no idea the man wanted to die.

Elizabeth Barrett is accused of helping Jack Koency of Laguna Niguel kill himself by crushing up a lethal dose of oxycodone, fluoxetine and alprazolam and mixing it in yogurt.

Koency died Sept. 30, 2001 and was 85 years old at the time.

"She was surprised that he died. She was very surprised by it. These are two very close friends and candidly, she's still trying to get over it," Defense Attorney David Borsari told CBS2/KCAL9's Michele Gile.

"She thought what she was doing was going to help prolong his life," he said.

Authorities say it was all recorded on home security camera in the Koency's apartment.

"We had somebody who was not terminally ill. Who was mobile. Who was able to go around. Who was able to drive," said Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh. "The day that he committed suicide, she actually went with him to the Neptune Society where he made arrangements for his funeral."

Bosari has not seen police reports or the evidence but tells Gile he wouldn't be surprised if Barrett went with Koency to make funeral arrangements because that's what friends do.

He insists that she had no idea that Koency wanted to end his life.

Barrett is also accused of removing the World War II memorabilia of this victim – something that was apparently caught on tape. Bosari says there is a reasonable explanation for that.

Barrett expected to make her first court appearance at the end of April.

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