ScienceBasedMedicine.org has an in-depth look at the murder of Juan Gonzalez, a “naturopath” who was murdered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on March 3, 2017.
On March 8, 2017, Ohmer Ahmetovic was arrested for the murder. It turns out that Ahmetovic’s wife, Fikreta Ibrisevic, was afflicted with cancer and sought treatment from Gonzalez. Ibrisevic died on February 27, 2017, and Gonzalez was murdered just 6 days later.
According to a report in the Lexington Herald Leader, Ahmetovic filed a lawsuit against Gonzalez shortly before the murder.
Ibrisevic was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft-tissue cancer, in late 2015 to early 2016, according to the lawsuit. The couple were interested in natural therapies while Ibrisevic waited to be scheduled for the beginning of traditional cancer treatments.
On or near Jan. 11, 2016, Gonzalez told the couple that traditional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy were for “uneducated” people and he could “guarantee” Ibrisevic would be cancer free with his treatments within three months, according to the lawsuit. He is further accused of telling Ibrisevic that “chemotherapy is for losers.”
Ibrisevic began treatments which included buying herbs from Gonzalez, massages, foot soaks, dietary instructions and other treatments. From January through May 2016, Ibrisevic and Ahmetovic paid Gonzalez and Natural Health Center for Integrative Medicine more than $7,000 for the treatments and herbs, according to the lawsuit.
When Ibrisevic began treatment, she had one tumor. When she discontinued treatment with Gonzalez she had seven tumors, according to the lawsuit.
Two lives lost thanks to privileging quackery over science.