Sarco suicide pod's first user was 'found with strangulation marks'

The American woman, 64, reportedly pushed a button to release a fatal gas "almost immediately" after she entered the suicide pod in some woodland in Switzerland, a country that allows assisted dying

The first person who used a Sarco suicide pod was allegedly found inside it with strangulation marks.

The 64-year-old American woman is understood to have died inside the pod that was set up in a woodland area in Merishausen, Switzerland, on September 23. She was found after pushing a button inside the pod that releases nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber, resulting in fatal hypoxia.

But investigators are now looking into whether the woman might have been killed. Chief prosecutor Peter Sticher suggested in court that the woman might have been strangled.

The American was found to have suffered neck injuries, according to a forensic doctor, who spoke to Mr Sticher shortly after she died. Following the death, Dr Florian Willet, the president of the Sarco operator The Last Resort, was apprehended alongside several others.

According to Dutch outlet de Volkskrant, Dr Willet is still being held in custody. He was the only person present when the mum-of-two died.

The woman is believed to have been diagnosed with skull base osteomyelitis. A person told Swiss outlet the disease could appear as an infection of bone marrow which might have made it appear as marks similar to strangulation marks on her neck.

MailOnline reported the woman had wanted to die for at least two years after developing a "very serious illness that involves severe pain." The woman could not be treated properly for osteomyelitis due to an immune disorder, the Last Resort claimed.

The suicide pod's creator claimed she entered it and "almost immediately pressed the button" to take her own life. The pod was positioned in woodland so people could see trees and the sky above them before they die.

Dr Philip Nitschke, the pod's creator, told Dutch media: "It looked exactly as we expected it to look. My guess is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes. We saw sudden, small contractions and movements of the muscles in her arms, but she was probably already unconscious by then." Police arrived in the forest when they found the woman's body inside and went on to arrest several people.

Dr Willet, two lawyers and a Volkskrant photographer were among those who were apprehended. The public prosecutor in the Schaffhausen region said Sarco's creators were warned not to use the pod and that it was not heeded.

"We warned them in writing," prosecutor Peter Sticher said last month, MailOnline reported. "We said that if they came to Schaffhausen and used Sarco, they would face criminal consequences."

It is understood that of the four arrested, they were told it was over being suspected of inciting suicide and providing suicide assistance. Dr Willet was the only person who was held after 48 hours.

A statement on The Last Resort said: "The Last Resort and Exit International maintain that no laws were broken and that the first use of the Sarco was lawful.

"[The woman] had mental capacity, she acted voluntarily and she did the action that brought about her death by herself. There were no selfish motives (no fees were charged, no one obtained a personal benefit etc.). There exists proof for all of this. Before the use of the Sarco, extensive legal advice over a period of years had been taken.

"We are confident that the criminal investigation will conclude that no one is guilty of a crime. Dr. Philip Nitschke and Dr. Fiona Stewart have informed the public prosecutor’s office of Schaffhausen in writing that they are available to be questioned in Switzerland."

It is understood 120 people want to use the pod to end their lives, The Last Resort has said. A quarter of those on a waiting list are believed to be British.

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