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Documents: Accused Doctor Says Suicide Is No Admission Of Guilt

Dr. Melvin Levine, the former Children's Hospital pediatrician accused of sexually abusing young patients, wrote that his suicide should in no way be interpreted as an admission of guilt, according to documents released to the media by a Boston lawyer, Carmen Durso, overseeing a class action lawsuit against Levine.

According to the documents, Levine's suicide note begins: "Bambi: I am so sorry. There were no alternatives."

The documents include police reports, Levine's apparent suicide note and personal writings that appear to be a journal.  A spokesperson for the North Carolina Orange County Sheriff's Office verified the first two pages, but said he could not comment on the rest of the documents. The Boston Globe quoted Durso, the lawyer, saying he obtained the documents through a colleague as part of a public records request.

The first entry in what is presented as Levine's journal, dated February 11, is titled: "Chapter 11: The End." On February 14, an entry says: "I am hoping and expecting that my suicide will in no way be seen as an admission of guilt. I continue to maintain that I did nothing that was wrong or immoral in my patient care throughout 40 years of practicing pediatrics. I am an innocent victim of the "copycat phenomenon" at its most malignant aided and abetted by a sadistic and predatory press and an unscrupulous plaintiff attorney."

In the final entry, February 17, the day before Levine was found in the woods, where he apparently shot himself in the forehead, according to the police reports, the journal says:

(See a PDF of the full note.)

This program aired on March 8, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

Headshot of Rachel Zimmerman

Rachel Zimmerman Reporter
Rachel Zimmerman previously reported on health and the intersection of health and business for WBUR. She is working on a memoir about rebuilding her family after her husband’s suicide. 

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