Murder By Medical Form? Attorney Arrested In Missouri For Allegedly Killing Parents And Forgery of Medical Form
jonathanturley
Attorney Susan Elizabeth Van Note, 44, was arraigned this week on charges of forgery and first degree murder of her father William Van Note. Both William B. Van Note, 67 and his longtime companion Sharon L. Dickson, 59 died from gunshot wounds received at their home in October 2010. The case has an interesting twist: police allege that the father died as a result of Van Note presented a forged medical form allowing her to terminate life support.
It took three days for William B. Van Note to die. He was able to call police and try to help Dickson, a former flower shop owner, before passing out. Sharon L. Dickson was found in the master suite with her husband nearby. They had just returned to the house when they were shot that evening. They were planning to leave for Florida for the winter.
Susan Van Note was charged with forging an Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care form that would allow her to terminate life support for her father.
Susan Van Note practices in the Kansas City area. Two accomplices, Desre Lechele Dory, 42, and Stacey Nicole Dory, 43, were also arrested and charged with second degree murder and forgery.
The medical form allegation raises an interesting causation question. The father’s wounds probably would have resulted in his death eventually, but the forms allegedly caused the hospital to actively terminate life support. That becomes something akin to murder by medical form.
Notably, Susan Van Note advertises that she completes the medical form for a fee of $600 (which seems quite high given that these forms can be completed without an attorney).
