Two relatives indicted for manslaughter in 91-year-old's 'assisted suicide' death

Two people have been indicted for manslaughter following the death of a 91-year-old Colorado woman who died from inhaling nitrogen gas at an independent living facility in 2024.

Key Takeaways:

• Two individuals in Colorado have been indicted for manslaughter in the death of a 91-year-old woman.

• Kim Roller and her brother-in-law, David Norton, are accused of helping Roller's mother, Mildred Roller, to die using nitrogen gas.

• Staff at the independent living facility where Mildred lived found her deceased with a bag over her head.

• Colorado legalized assisted suicide in 2016.

The Details:

According to The Denver Post, Kim Roller, 70, and her brother-in-law, David Norton, 68, were charged with manslaughter by aiding suicide.

The Boulder County District Attorney's Office reported that Roller and Norton are accused of purchasing nitrogen gas and other items — including a plastic tub, gas flow regulator, and a clear bag — to assist Roller's mother, Mildred "Milsy" Roller, in bringing about her death.

Mildred Roller lived alone at The Lodge at Balfour, an independent living facility for older residents in Louisville, Colorado. Staff found Mildred deceased with a clear bag over her head. Attached to the bag was a plastic tube that connected to a gas flow regulator, and the regulator was connected to a green nitrogen gas bottle. A suicide note, originally dated for "Feb. 5, 2024" but crossed out to read "Feb 18, 2024," was also found.

Police investigated and found that Mildred's daughter, Kim, bought a 20-pound industrial nitrogen bottle from Airgas, which is what her mother allegedly used to kill herself. Norton reportedly purchased a gas flow regulator from Amazon, and the pair installed that to the nitrogen tank that Kim Roller had purchased. They had learned to use nitrogen to end a life using information they obtained from the Final Exit Network, an organization that provides information and holds workshops to teach people how to commit suicide.

Colorado legalized assisted suicide in 2016 under the End-of-Life Options Act, which allows adults deemed "terminally ill" to request and receive medication to end their lives.

In light of the investigation into Mildred Roller's death:

• The Final Exit Network has agreed to change its materials and how workshops are conducted, including ending nitrogen demonstrations, step-by-step instructions, and providing equipment lists at public workshops on suicide.

• It also agreed to improve awareness for Colorado's End-of-Life Options Act and medical aid in dying, and to warn public workshop attendees that if someone assists another person with their suicide, that person could face prosecution.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated:

"Our office understands and supports the right of Coloradans to avail themselves of medical aid in dying, as prescribed under law. The law provides requirements and safeguards that were not followed here. I appreciate the thorough analysis and effort by the investigators and prosecutors as well as the grand jurors who worked through all the evidence. The changes required of Final Exit Network will, also, clarify what is -- and is not -- legally permitted in Colorado."

Present at Mildred Roller's death were Kim Roller and her sister, Nancy Norton. David Nortion was waiting outside in his car. It does not appear that Nancy Norton is facing charges.

Why It Matters:

According to Dougherty's office, Mildred Roller's monthly bill for The Lodge at Balfour was about $6,980. Her savings account had about $655,540 in it at the time of her death, and Kim Roller and David Norton were beneficiaries of that money, along with additional surviving children.

One of the concerns surrounding assisted suicide is that individuals may be pressured to die against their will. Vulnerable individuals like Mildred Roller can be targeted for death in states where assisted suicide is legal, and rather than choosing to die to avoid pain, they are pressured to die out of fear of being a burden.