Lee Jackson Zumwalt Sr., 86, died February 17, 1979, in Junction City, Lane County, Oregon. His death was later linked to a series of killings an orderly, Otha Harrison Hart, said he carried out at a Eugene nursing home. Hart confessed to giving lethal insulin injections to four patients, including Zumwalt, and claimed the patients had asked for help ending their suffering. Hart said Zumwalt did not protest and kissed Hart’s hand before receiving the injection.

The deaths were initially recorded as natural causes, and medical examiners noted that detecting insulin so long after death would be impossible. Hart was extradited to Eugene and charged with aggravated murder; those counts were later reduced to attempted murder in a plea bargain. His attorney argued there was no independent proof the deaths resulted from an unlawful act, and Hart pleaded guilty to the reduced charges.

Zumwalt’s case highlights difficult ethical and legal questions about euthanasia and caregiver responsibility in medical facilities.