Revealed: US woman due to be the first person to die in 'suicide capsule' has now died in Switzerland 'by other means' after 'going missing', as heartbroken friends say 'her loss makes the world a little darker'

An American female who was owed to beryllium nan first personification to dice successful a 'suicide capsule' earlier going missing has now died by different means, her friends person revealed.

Jennifer McLaughlin, 55, had traveled to Switzerland to usage nan 'Sarco' pod - which creators opportunity allows its caretaker to push a fastener and trigger their ain death.

But nan pod's inventor, arguable assisted dying advocator Philip Nitschke, said her planned decease was 'permanently postponed'.

Despite this, Ms McLaughlin emailed her lawyer and closest friends to show them that she was going to person a 'procedure' to return her life.

She then disappeared, pinch friends desperately trying to interaction her and her disappearance reported to police, earlier her decease was confirmed past night.

It is believed that she whitethorn person sought thief from different assisted dying organisation.

The erstwhile security institution worker from Columbus, Georgia, began suffering pinch 'major wellness issues' successful 2017, pinch her lawyer saying she 'never really recovered'. 

Attorney Fife Whitehouse, who has been a friend and ineligible counsel to Ms McLaughlin for 15 years, shared a rubbing tribute to her aft proceeding nan 'painful' news.

'[Jennifer] was a wonderfully quirky, articulate and intelligent person, personification who you would person a difficult clip forgetting,' he told MailOnline.

'She was 1 of those group successful whose nonaccomplishment you consciousness nan world is simply a small darker. Saddens each of america who knew her.'

Ms McLaughlin spent 3 months successful infirmary successful 2017, he said. Several years later, she mislaid her beloved mother, who had been by her broadside passim her sick health.

The US Embassy successful Switzerland confirmed Ms McLaughlin's decease successful nan state successful a connection connected Monday night.

She is reported to person died connected Friday aft receiving attraction from a Swiss assisted dying organisation that was not Exit International - nan patient down nan Sarco.

It is not known when Ms McLaughlin decided to return her ain life, but she travelled to Switzerland earlier this summertime pinch nan volition of becoming nan first personification to usage nan Sarco pod.

The machine, nan sanction of which is taken from sarcophagus, is meant to let nan euthanasia diligent wrong it to property a fastener and dice 'within seconds', according to Nitschke's institution Exit International.

The pod - which looks for illustration thing retired of a sci-fi movie and has been likened to a Tesla car - fills pinch nitrogen to starve nan caretaker of oxygen, rendering nan diligent unconscious earlier they die.

Reports emerged successful early July that nan first diligent would usage nan instrumentality wrong nan month, but Exit and its subsidiary The Last Resort later held a property convention saying it would alternatively beryllium 'within nan year'.

Would-be users would person to capable successful an online study earlier being fixed a pod's location and an entree code, for illustration a transportation mailbox.

Then wrong nan capsule, they corroborate who they are, wherever they are, and if they cognize what happens erstwhile they property nan button.

If they spell up a flood of nitrogen lowers nan oxygen level from 21 per cent to conscionable 1 per cent, supposedly sidesplitting them successful 30 seconds.

Nitschke said he designed nan Sarco successful bid to create a 'peaceful, reliable, drug-free' method of assisted dying

'Death takes spot done hypoxia and hypocapnia, oxygen and c dioxide deprivation, respectively. There is nary panic, nary choking,' he claimed, insisting that nan capsule has been done thorough testing.

He has moreover said that he 'will astir apt usage nan Sarco' successful his last days alternatively of being 'in a miserable authorities while earnestly ill.' 

Swiss prosecutors antecedently warned earlier that anyone assisting personification successful utilizing nan pods could look up to 5 years down bars.

Schaffhausen Canton Public Prosecutor Peter Sticher warned of 'serious consequences' for Nitschke for 'inducement and aiding and abetting termination for selfish reasons.'

In a missive obtained by Swiss media, Sticher said: 'There is nary reliable accusation astir nan method of killing.

'[It is] wholly unclear who has power complete which mechanical process during nan dying process.'

The doctor's plans to usage Sarco for nan first clip besides caused uproar from 'pro-life' organisations.

James Mildred, head of engagement astatine CARE, said: 'Philip Nitschke's instrumentality has been condemned by a wide scope of commentators.

'Many group consciousness that it trivialises, and moreover glamourises, suicide.

'We judge that termination is simply a calamity that bully societies activity to forestall successful each circumstance.

'There are ethical ways to thief quality beings that don't impact nan demolition of life.'

• For thief and support, telephone nan Samaritans for free from a UK phone, wholly anonymously, connected 116 123 aliases spell to samaritans.org.