Southwest
Former doctor accused of assisting NY woman's suicide pleads guilty to manslaughter
A former doctor from Arizona who was charged with manslaughter after allegedly helping a woman commit suicide in an upstate New York motel room has pleaded guilty to the charge.
Stephen Miller, 85, of Tucson was arrested this year for second-degree manslaughter. A provision of New York law allows individuals to face the charge if they intentionally cause or aid in another person’s suicide.
The plea agreement made in state court stipulates that Miller will serve five years of probation.
Miller traveled from Arizona to a motel in Kingston, New York, to be with the woman at the time of her death.
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Stephen P. Miller pleaded guilty on Tuesday to manslaughter. (City of Kingston Police Department)
Housekeeping staff discovered the woman’s body on Nov. 9, 2023. The Ulster County district attorney’s office said at the time that the Kingston police, fire and emergency workers concluded the woman died “by means of assisted suicide.”
Miller was arraigned in February for second-degree manslaughter and two counts of assault after voluntarily surrendering and originally pleading not guilty.
On Tuesday, Miller’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, said his client provided comfort and “very slight technical assistance” to a woman who could not live with the debilitating pain that had plagued her for decades.
Lichtman also said the woman reached out to Miller because of his work with the advocacy group Choice and Dignity.
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An Arizona man pleaded guilty to manslaughter in New York after helping a woman commit suicide in a motel in November 2023. (iStock)
“Technically, he violated the law,” the attorney told reporters. “We accept that, but with the understanding that morally, Stephen Miller did nothing wrong.”
During his court hearing, Miller softly answered questions from Judge Bryan Rounds.
“Are you pleading guilty because you are, in fact, guilty of manslaughter in the second degree,” Rounds asked.
“By your definition, yes,” Miller answered before the judge explained the definition was found in state law.
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The plea agreement stipulates that Miller will serve five years of probation. (iStock)
Rounds then asked Miller the same question once more, which Miller answered, “Yes.”
Miller declined to respond to questions from reporters after his appearance, the Associated Press reported.
Miller lost his license to practice medicine upon his conviction for tax fraud in Texas. Miller was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to just under four years in prison, according to a Department of Justice news release.
Several states allow medical aid for dying, though efforts to legalize it in New York have stalled in the state legislature.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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