Husband To Get Probation For Assisting Wife's Suicide

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published September 22, 2015 at 4:45 PM EDT

Authorities say a retired Marist College psychology professor will be sentenced to five years' probation and no prison time for helping his wife kill herself with carbon monoxide in their Hudson Valley home.

The Ulster County District Attorney's Office says 63-year-old Paul Egan pleaded guilty Monday to promoting a suicide attempt. Prosecutors say Egan had formed a "suicide pact" with his wife, 59-year-old Catherine Egan, and blocked a furnace duct so carbon monoxide filled their home last January.

Police found the woman unconscious when they went to the home at the request of a concerned family member. She died later at a hospital.

Investigators say both Egans had serious, long-term health issues.

Sentencing was set for Oct. 15.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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