Early in 1985, Roswell Gilbert took the life of his 76-year-old wife, a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease. He claimed that in her intense suffering and embarrassment, she begged him to end her life and that he acted out of both love for her and obligation to her. He was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Subsequently, the Governor’s cabinet denied him clemency.

Discuss your emotional and intellectual reactions to this entire sequence of events. How should Gilbert have responded to his wife’s distress? How should society respond to Gilbert’s action? Are our laws sufficient to address the complexities of such an issue?