A 54-year-old American doctor and her 49-year-old nurse sister committed suicide by euthanasia after disappearing during a trip to Switzerland.
Lila Ammuri, 54, a palliative care physician, and Susan Fraser, 49, a nurse, traveled to Basel, Switzerland from their home in Phoenix on February 3 and spoke with their 60-year-old brother, Cal Ammuri, shortly before.
Fraser’s employer, Aetna Health in Phoenix, raised the alarm after she failed to return to work on Feb. 15. The sister’s death was confirmed by the US Consulate on February 18, although the exact date of their deaths remains unclear.
Ammoury says his siblings appeared to be healthy and happy and gave no indication as to whether they were suffering from any disease that could lead to their death.
It is said that they arrived there on February 5, but never flew home.
A spokesman for the Basel-Lands prosecutors confirmed to The Independent that the sisters committed suicide “within the law”.
It is unclear how and where the sisters died. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland. Dignitas is the most famous suicide clinic, but it is located in a different canton (district) where the sisters committed suicide.
Other clinics throughout Switzerland also offer similar services: patients are given a solution of barbiturates dissolved in water, which guarantees a painless death after consumption.
Lila Ammuri (left) and her sister Susan Fraser (right) committed suicide in Switzerland, their brother said.
Visitors to clinics must go through stringent screenings before they are allowed to use their services.
Cal, from New York, said it was not clear why his sisters chose to commit suicide and that the US consulate kept him in the dark.
“This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” Cal told , “Now I am an only child. I don’t understand any of this.
Suicide is legal at the renowned Swiss clinic Dignitas, and visitors must pass a series of checks before they are allowed to commit suicide.
According to Cal and longtime friends of the women, the sisters returned to work at Aetna Health Insurance on February 15 but never showed up.
The grieving brother said both sisters looked happy: Lila had a home in Phoenix and enjoyed her job helping patients with serious illnesses and pain, and Susan had recently received a promotion.
“Why would you want to quit your job, your home, your loved ones, just quit everything,” Cal asked. “I just need answers.
Michael Lutz, spokesman for the Basel-Landschaft prosecutor’s office, told The Independent that the deaths of the sisters did not immediately lead to a criminal investigation, as it was carried out exclusively by legal means.
Swiss authorities are currently working with investigators from the Phoenix Police Department to find out what happened to the two sisters. Phoenix Police did not immediately respond to ‘s request for comment.
The sister’s death was confirmed by the US Consulate in Switzerland on February 18, weeks after friends and family took to the Internet to spread the word about their disappearance.
Dr. Majid Bilgari, a longtime friend of the sisters, said no one had heard from the couple since February 9, four days after they arrived in Switzerland.
Prior to this, Bilgari told Fox 10 that co-workers were texting them and felt the person who replied was not actually one of the sisters.
“Some of the text messages they had, we’re pretty sure they weren’t from them,” Biglari said. “Most likely they were fabricated by someone else.
Like Cal, Bilgary mentioned that both sisters were happy and it’s not like they suddenly went missing.
Bilgari did not immediately respond to ‘s request for comment.
The story is evolving, stay tuned