Shortly after speaking to members of the pathology department on
Dec. 22, a 78-year-old man shot and killed himself in a nearby UCLA
Medical Center bathroom.
Members of the pathology department said the man, who had no
formal affiliation with UCLA, had asked about donating his body to
research before committing suicide.
A suicide note that the man left also indicated that he hoped
his body would be used for science, according to university
police.
The man’s last wishes might not be granted however,
because of the way he died.
“That’s the ironic thing,” said Amanda Paus,
an administrative assistant in the pathology department.
Keith Ellis, a hospital lab technician also in the pathology
department, said anybody who commits suicide becomes a
coroner’s case.
The coroner may or may not do an autopsy of the body, Ellis
said. If an autopsy is performed “there’s nothing left
to study,” he added.
The reasons for the suicide are unclear, but police said the man
had sent several letters to a family member relating details about
his purported depression.
The family member told police the man’s letters had
mentioned his “exit” and that he had been reading books
about suicide.
A posting on one of the MyUCLA forums said the man was a
university professor, a false statement, according to police.
The suicide happened three days before Christmas, a period that
can sometimes trigger depression, said Nancy Greenstein, director
of police community services.