Assisted suicide 'Dr. Death' walks free from jail

COLDWATER: Assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, whose controversial tactics earned him the nickname Doctor Death, was released from prison on Friday after serving more than eight years for murder.   

Kevorkian, who served time for the case of a man whose videotaped suicide was aired on national television, claims he actively helped 130 people die.   

Wearing his traditional light blue cardigan and a tie over a white shirt and slacks, the white-haired Kevorkian shuffled out of jail and smiled at a small group of reporters.   

"It's wonderful," he said of his release. "It's one of the high points of life."   

When asked how he felt, the 79-year-old former pathologist said "good".   

His lawyer, who arrived in a white rented van with its back windows covered, shielded Kevorkian from questions.    

"I thank everybody for coming," Meyer Morganroth said.

"I thank the thousands who have supported him and have written him. He just wants a little privacy for the next few days." Kevorkian is expected to give his first exclusive interview on Sunday to the news program 60 Minutes, whose host Mike Wallace greeted Kevorkian upon his exit from jail with a big hug. Wallace did not answer questions from reporters.   

The same news show in 1998 aired an interview with Kevorkian and segments of a videotaped assisted suicide, footage that Kevorkian sent himself, which led to his conviction and imprisonment.