By . Jill Reilly . A van belonging to a Michigan-based physician who bore the notorious nickname 'Dr. Death' has been found at a pawn shop. Dr. Jack Kevorkian used the 'Deathmobile', a 1970s VW Minibus while assisting in several deaths, including the poisoning of an Alzheimer's patient that launched his public effort in 1990. It is being stored at a pawn ship in Southfield, Detroit, where Les Gold of American Jewelry & Loan bought it for $20,000. A van belonging to a Michigan-based physician who bore the notorious nickname 'Dr. Death' has been found at a pawn shop . Kevorkian served eight years in prison for second-degree murder after administering a lethal injection rather than helping the patient do it himself . The bus is currently sitting at the shop on layaway - the new owner, a local businessman, is paying $25,000 for the bus, reported CBS Detroit. 'There’s the registration’ we have his driver’s license, we have the pictures,' said Mr Gold. 'We have every document to show that this was actually the van that he used for assisted suicide.' Dr Kevorkian was released from prison in 2007 after serving eight years for a second-degree murder conviction after assisting in the 1998 death of a 52-year-old Michigan man with Lou Gehrig's disease. His parole came under the condition that he would not offer suicide advice to any other person. He said his ultimate goal was to create 'obitoriums', where people would go to die - and doctors could harvest their organs. The van is being stored at a pawn ship in Southfield, Detroit, where Les Gold (pictured) of American Jewelry & Loan bought it for $20,000 . The bus is currently sitting at the shop on layaway - the new owner, a local businessman, is paying $25,000 for the bus . He rose to infamy in the 1990s with his homemade 'suicide machines', which he drove to patients in a rusting VW van. He inserted a needle into the patient's arm, then they pressed a lever to release the fatal chemicals. The first assisted suicide he made public was in 1990, when Janet Adkins, 54, became the first person to use the machine at her home in Portland. But his luck ran out in 1998, when he taped himself injecting Thomas Youk, who had Lou Gehrig's disease, with lethal chemicals. The tape was then broadcast on CBS's 60 Minutes, and led to his conviction. Speaking on the programme, he said: 'The issue's got to be raised to the level where it is finally decided.' He was charged four times with murder, but three juries acquitted him and then a third case collapsed in a mistrial. As the state tried desperately to stop him, Dr Kevorkian likened himself to Martin Luther King and Gandhi and called prosecutors Nazis, his critics religious fanatics. He burned state orders against him, showed up at court in costume, called doctors who didn't support him 'hypocritical oafs' and challenged authorities to stop him or make his actions legal. He once said: 'Somebody has to do something for suffering humanity. I put myself in my patients' place. This is something I would want.' Dr. Jack Kevorkian in Jackson State Prison in Michigan in 1999. He was charged four times with murder, but three juries acquitted him and then a third case collapsed in a mistrial . In 2010 online auction site eBay removed a listing for the van saying the sale would violate the company's policy against the sale of murder-related collectables . In an interview recorded from prison, he later admitted he regretted his actions 'a little'. He said: 'It was disappointing because what I did turned out to be in vain. 'And my only regret was not having done it through the legal system, through legislation, possibly.' After his release from jail, he revelled in his newfound celebrity. In 2010, his life was chronicled in 2010 telefilm You Don't Know Jack, starring Al Pacino as Dr Kevorkian. The film, which also stars Susan Sarandon and John Goodman, follows Dr Kevorkian as he builds the second of his suicide devices, the 'Mercy Machine', which employed a gas mask fed by a container of carbon monoxide. Pacino won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of the doctor, who sat smiling in the audience as the actor paid tribute to him in his acceptance speech, saying it was a pleasure 'to try to portray someone as brilliant and interesting and unique.' But although he liked the film, Dr Kevorkian had little hope it would help inspire a new generation of assisted-suicide campaigners. Dr Kevorkian demonstrates his euthanasia kit . He said: 'You'll hear people say, "well, it's in the news again, it's time for discussing this further." No it isn't. It's been discussed to death. 'There's nothing new to say about it. It's a legitimate ethical medical practice as it was in ancient Rome and Greece.' In 2008, he ran for Congress as an independent, receiving just 2.7 per cent of the vote in the suburban Detroit district. He said his experience showed the party system was 'corrupt and has to be completely overhauled from the bottom up'. In 2011, he died peacefully and pain-free from ongoing kidney disease, aged 83. In 2010 online auction site eBay removed a listing for the van saying the sale would violate the company's policy against the sale of murder-related collectables. Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian's friend and lawyer at the time said Kevorkian turned the van in to his own auto shop for scrap in 1997 and that he was upset it had been put up for auction. 'Jack never sold it, never got a dime for it,' Morganroth said. 'Jack believed it was destroyed.' June 4 1990: Janet Adkins, 54, becomes the first person to use one of Dr Kevorkian's suicide machines. Murder charges against him are dropped when a judge rules Michigan has no law against assisted suicide.November 1991: Michigan suspends the doctor's medical licence.December 1992: The state introduces a temporary law to make assisted suicide illegal while the issue is examined.1994-1996: Dr Kevorkian is acquitted of five assisted suicides.September 1998: Michigan permanently bans assisted suicide in an attempt to stop Dr Kevorkian. In the same month, the death of Thomas Youk is broadcast on CBS.March 26 1999: Dr Kervorkian is convicted of second-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance. The next month he is sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.October 7 2002: After having his appeal request turned down in Michigan, he goes to the U.S. Supreme Court - but it announces it will not consider his case.June 1 2007: The doctor is released from jail, describing the day as 'wonderful - one of the high points in life'.November 4 2009: The doctor gets 2.7 per cent of the vote when he stands for Congress.April 24 2010: Biopic about his life, You Don't Know Jack, is released by HBOMay 18 2011: Dr Kevorkian is hospitalised for pneumonia and kidney problems and dies June .
Dr. Jack Kevorkian used a 1970s VW Minibus for his 'work'
Kevorkian claimed to have assisted in the suicides of more than 130 .
patients .
Rose to infamy in the 1990s with his homemade 'suicide machines'
Inserted needle into patient's arm, then they pressed a lever to release .
By . Jill Reilly . A van belonging to a Michigan-based physician who bore the notorious nickname 'Dr. Death' has been found at a pawn shop. Dr. Jack Kevorkian used the 'Deathmobile', a 1970s VW Minibus while assisting in several deaths, including the poisoning of an Alzheimer's patient that launched his public effort in 1990. It is being stored at a pawn ship in Southfield, Detroit, where Les Gold of American Jewelry & Loan bought it for $20,000. A van belonging to a Michigan-based physician who bore the notorious nickname 'Dr. Death' has been found at a pawn shop . Kevorkian served eight years in prison for second-degree murder after administering a lethal injection rather than helping the patient do it himself . The bus is currently sitting at the shop on layaway - the new owner, a local businessman, is paying $25,000 for the bus, reported CBS Detroit. 'There’s the registration’ we have his driver’s license, we have the pictures,' said Mr Gold. 'We have every document to show that this was actually the van that he used for assisted suicide.' Dr Kevorkian was released from prison in 2007 after serving eight years for a second-degree murder conviction after assisting in the 1998 death of a 52-year-old Michigan man with Lou Gehrig's disease. His parole came under the condition that he would not offer suicide advice to any other person. He said his ultimate goal was to create 'obitoriums', where people would go to die - and doctors could harvest their organs. The van is being stored at a pawn ship in Southfield, Detroit, where Les Gold (pictured) of American Jewelry & Loan bought it for $20,000 . The bus is currently sitting at the shop on layaway - the new owner, a local businessman, is paying $25,000 for the bus . He rose to infamy in the 1990s with his homemade 'suicide machines', which he drove to patients in a rusting VW van. He inserted a needle into the patient's arm, then they pressed a lever to release the fatal chemicals. The first assisted suicide he made public was in 1990, when Janet Adkins, 54, became the first person to use the machine at her home in Portland. But his luck ran out in 1998, when he taped himself injecting Thomas Youk, who had Lou Gehrig's disease, with lethal chemicals. The tape was then broadcast on CBS's 60 Minutes, and led to his conviction. Speaking on the programme, he said: 'The issue's got to be raised to the level where it is finally decided.' He was charged four times with murder, but three juries acquitted him and then a third case collapsed in a mistrial. As the state tried desperately to stop him, Dr Kevorkian likened himself to Martin Luther King and Gandhi and called prosecutors Nazis, his critics religious fanatics. He burned state orders against him, showed up at court in costume, called doctors who didn't support him 'hypocritical oafs' and challenged authorities to stop him or make his actions legal. He once said: 'Somebody has to do something for suffering humanity. I put myself in my patients' place. This is something I would want.' Dr. Jack Kevorkian in Jackson State Prison in Michigan in 1999. He was charged four times with murder, but three juries acquitted him and then a third case collapsed in a mistrial . In 2010 online auction site eBay removed a listing for the van saying the sale would violate the company's policy against the sale of murder-related collectables . In an interview recorded from prison, he later admitted he regretted his actions 'a little'. He said: 'It was disappointing because what I did turned out to be in vain. 'And my only regret was not having done it through the legal system, through legislation, possibly.' After his release from jail, he revelled in his newfound celebrity. In 2010, his life was chronicled in 2010 telefilm You Don't Know Jack, starring Al Pacino as Dr Kevorkian. The film, which also stars Susan Sarandon and John Goodman, follows Dr Kevorkian as he builds the second of his suicide devices, the 'Mercy Machine', which employed a gas mask fed by a container of carbon monoxide. Pacino won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of the doctor, who sat smiling in the audience as the actor paid tribute to him in his acceptance speech, saying it was a pleasure 'to try to portray someone as brilliant and interesting and unique.' But although he liked the film, Dr Kevorkian had little hope it would help inspire a new generation of assisted-suicide campaigners. Dr Kevorkian demonstrates his euthanasia kit . He said: 'You'll hear people say, "well, it's in the news again, it's time for discussing this further." No it isn't. It's been discussed to death. 'There's nothing new to say about it. It's a legitimate ethical medical practice as it was in ancient Rome and Greece.' In 2008, he ran for Congress as an independent, receiving just 2.7 per cent of the vote in the suburban Detroit district. He said his experience showed the party system was 'corrupt and has to be completely overhauled from the bottom up'. In 2011, he died peacefully and pain-free from ongoing kidney disease, aged 83. In 2010 online auction site eBay removed a listing for the van saying the sale would violate the company's policy against the sale of murder-related collectables. Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian's friend and lawyer at the time said Kevorkian turned the van in to his own auto shop for scrap in 1997 and that he was upset it had been put up for auction. 'Jack never sold it, never got a dime for it,' Morganroth said. 'Jack believed it was destroyed.' June 4 1990: Janet Adkins, 54, becomes the first person to use one of Dr Kevorkian's suicide machines. Murder charges against him are dropped when a judge rules Michigan has no law against assisted suicide.November 1991: Michigan suspends the doctor's medical licence.December 1992: The state introduces a temporary law to make assisted suicide illegal while the issue is examined.1994-1996: Dr Kevorkian is acquitted of five assisted suicides.September 1998: Michigan permanently bans assisted suicide in an attempt to stop Dr Kevorkian. In the same month, the death of Thomas Youk is broadcast on CBS.March 26 1999: Dr Kervorkian is convicted of second-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance. The next month he is sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.October 7 2002: After having his appeal request turned down in Michigan, he goes to the U.S. Supreme Court - but it announces it will not consider his case.June 1 2007: The doctor is released from jail, describing the day as 'wonderful - one of the high points in life'.November 4 2009: The doctor gets 2.7 per cent of the vote when he stands for Congress.April 24 2010: Biopic about his life, You Don't Know Jack, is released by HBOMay 18 2011: Dr Kevorkian is hospitalised for pneumonia and kidney problems and dies June .
shop. Dr. Jack Kevorkian used the 'Deathmobile', a 1970s VW Minibus while assisting in several rose to infamy in the 1990s with his homemade patient's arm, then they pressed a lever to one of Dr Kevorkian's suicide machines. Murder