June 8, 2018

2 Min Read
Son Sentenced in Helping Mother Commit Suicide at Peabody Self Storage in Vacaville, CA

Update 6/7/18 – Eric Capitanich has been sentenced to three years of probation for being an accessory after the fact in his mother's suicide last year at Peabody Self Storage. He also received credit for time served during the prosecution of his case. The charges could’ve been filed as a misdemeanor or felony. Capitanich was charged with a felony and faced 16 months, or two or three years in prison, according to the source.

A Solano County Superior Court judge also ordered Capitanich to attend counseling under the direction of the probation department. In addition, he can’t possess “dangerous or deadly” weapons or ammunition. The firearm that was used in the suicide has been destroyed, the source reported.

9/12/17 – Eric Capitanich appeared in court on Monday to waive his right to a preliminary hearing. During his Jan. 10 arraignment, Capitanich pleaded not guilty to the single felony charge, according to the source. His next court hearing is Sept. 25.

Since Diane Capitanich’s suicide, a police investigation has revealed she was suffering from severe health issues at the time of her death, the source reported.

1/16/17 – Eric Capitanich, 43, has been arrested and charged with helping his mother commit suicide inside a unit at Peabody Self Storage in Vacaville, Calif. Capitanich called the police on Dec. 7 to report his mother, Diane Capitanich, had died from a single gunshot wound to the head, according to Lt. Matt Lydon. Investigators believe the 69-year-old woman’s body had been inside the unit for about two weeks, the source reported.

Police recovered handwritten notes from Capitanich and his mother from inside the unit at 201 Peabody Road, which expressed the woman’s wish to die and detailed how the suicide would be carried out. Investigators believe Capitanich wasn’t present at the time of the shooting but purchased the gun and taught his mother how to use it. Though Diane was the one who fired the gun, she may have used a device to assist her, Lydon told the source.

“We believe that he (Eric) believed he was carrying out his mother’s wishes,” Lydon said. “I’ve been doing this job for over two decades, and I’ve never seen anything remotely close to this type of case.”

California voters passed a right-to-die law in June, which stipulates that terminally ill adults with 6 months or less to live may obtain aid-in-dying drugs with a doctor’s prescription. It isn’t clear if Capitanich or his mother sought medical advice, according to Lydon.

Capitanich has been charged with one count of assisting a suicide and will be arraigned on Jan. 26. He faces up to three years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Sources:
San Francisco Gate, Man Who Was Accessory To Mother's Suicide Sentenced To Probation
CBS Sacramento: Vacaville Man Charged With Helping Mother Commit Suicide in Storage Locker
The Reporter: Man Accused of Assisting in Mother's Suicide Waives Preliminary Hearing

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