THE DALLES — Wasco County District Attorney Kara Davis announced that Joseph Newman pled to Criminally Negligent Homicide on May 12 in the Wasco County Circuit Court in front of Judge John Wolf. Newman was charged in connection with assisting Alexandra Cagle in her own suicide on March 25, 2023. As part of his plea, Newman offered a list of facts that Wolf found sufficient for a conviction, Davis said. These admissions included the fact that Newman picked up Cagle from a mental health facility, where she was being treated for suicidal ideations. While hospitalized, Cagle communicated via text message to Newman her desire to end her life and the method she intended to use. He then helped procure the materials she used and provided transport.
Davis acknowledged the unique and challenging nature of this case, stating, “This case was extremely difficult, as there is not any clear precedent for prosecuting someone for assisting in a suicide in the State of Oregon. Typically, Oregon statutes provide assisted suicide as a defense to murder, not as an affirmative prosecution for a criminal defense. No person has previously been convicted for this offense in Wasco County, and there are no other reported decisions of convictions of this nature in the State of Oregon.”
Despite the lack of clear precedent, Davis emphasized the importance of pursuing the case.
“It was very important to me to set a precedent that you cannot aid a person in their own death in this manner. This is not a Death with Dignity Act situation. Mr. Newman established a relationship with someone who was profoundly mentally ill and depressed, and when she wanted to kill herself, he helped her achieve that goal. He did not alert the authorities. He did not contact anyone. He just sent her on her way.”
Davis concluded by saying, “Suicide is always tragic. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, there is help for you. If you have no one you can contact, the crisis hotline number is 988.”
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