Death Without Dignity

On September 10, 1985, jury selection began for one of the most remarkable criminal trials in American jurisprudence. In State of Texas v Autumn Hills Convalescent Centers, Inc., a corporation and five of its executives were accused of murder. The case was six years old before it reached a jury. The trial lasted six months and the approximate cost to the state and the defense was a staggering $4 million. The defendants were accused of causing the death of an 87-year-old woman in a Texas City, Texas, nursing home. Also mentioned in the indictment were 60 other residents of the facility. Death Without Dignity is the powerful and gripping account of this remarkable trail. Steven Long's book has become an American classic.