A woman in Texas has been taken into custody for allegedly aiding her ex-husband, who was paralyzed, in ending his life with the help of a dubious right-to-die organization.
Joseph Chefo was discovered deceased in his residence in Odessa, Texas, on February 13th. Even though assisted suicide is against the law in Texas, his ex-wife and primary caretaker, Sarah Legmand, reportedly helped him suffocate using instructions from the Final Exit Network, as reported by local media.
According to an arrest affidavit, Regmundo, 46, informed Odessa police that her ex-husband was aware of his lethal intentions and that she had no plans to go against his final wishes.
Upon investigating the scene, authorities found a roll of blue painter’s tape in the room where Chefo died. Strands of gray hair, matching Chefo’s, were reportedly stuck to the tape.
Other items found included a typed suicide note, Chefo’s passport, and a book titled “Last Exit,” all neatly placed on a table at the foot of the bed.
Regmundo mentioned that since Chefo was unable to move, she printed a note and left it on the table for him.
She also confessed to moving a compressed gas tank that was connected to a plastic bag taped to Chefo’s head into the room during the incident, according to the police report.
On the same day, she was arrested and charged for her role in aiding Chefo’s suicide.
As per the Final Exit Network, assisted suicide remains illegal in both Texas and Florida.
In her police interview, Regmund shared that she had been in touch with the Final Exit Network, whose founder authored the book located next to Chefo’s bed. She stated that a representative from the organization had given Chefo guidance on how to go through with his suicide on the day he died.
It remains unclear whether any representatives were present at the time of Chefo’s death.
Regmundo told authorities that her husband held her hand as he filled the gas prior to dying.
Following advice from the Final Exit Network, she waited several hours before notifying the police about Chefo’s passing.
Attempts to reach the Final Exit Network for a comment had not been successful at the time of reporting.
Chefo, a former teacher passionate about fitness, experienced drastic changes to his life after being prescribed antibiotics in 2023.
A fundraiser organized by Regmundo in 2024 indicated that Chefo developed “fluoroquinolone addiction” and “endured daily struggles with chronic fatigue syndrome and persistent pain from ruptured tendons.”
In a video shared on social media, Chefo conveyed gratitude towards Regmundo, who had been by his side as a full-time caregiver, as he was “slowly regaining function” but still found tasks challenging.
He described his situation as “terrible” and expressed distress over his circumstances, advocating for assisted dying.
This fundraiser was viewed as a last-ditch effort to raise money for a $30,000 stem cell therapy in Los Angeles, but only managed to collect $1,365.
