[jason]

'HEARTLESS CRUELTY'

"Bobby Schindler, her brother, said 'We want to be in the room when she dies.' Michael Schiavo said, 'No, you cannot.' So his heartless cruelty continues until this very last moment," Pavone said.

The Schindlers were able to pursue their case further after the U.S. Congress passed a special law giving federal courts jurisdiction in what traditionally has been the domain of state courts and Bush cut short a vacation to sign it.

But the effort, which opinion polls showed was deeply unpopular with most Americans, failed when federal judges refused the parents' requests to order feeding resumed.

The last rebuff, from the U.S. Supreme Court, came late on Wednesday night. The highest U.S. court had repeatedly refused to take on the case.

President Bush expressed his condolences in a White House statement.

"I urge all those who honour Terri Schiavo to continue to work to build a culture of life, where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who live at the mercy of others," he said.

"The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions the presumption should be in the favour of life."

"I pray for her mother and father, her family, and all those involved in this regrettable loss of life," Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, who helped push the Schiavo legislation through Congress, said in a statement.

The mood outside the hospice was bitter.

"Well they got their way," said a grizzled New York City man who gave his name as "Lifeboat" and knelt clutching a wooden rosary. "We've become barbarians. We've lost our humanity in this country."

"I don't know if anything can stop this evil," said Mary Ann McGuire of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who sat weeping with her 16-month-old son on her lap and said she feared Schiavo's death would open the way for widespread euthanasia. "This can only get worse."

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, also became heavily involved on the side of the parents, but last week courts denied his efforts to have the state welfare agency take custody of Schiavo.

And the governor also failed to persuade the Florida Legislature to push through a new state law to intervene.

"Many across our state and around the world are deeply grieved by the way Terri died," Jeb Bush said.

The Florida Senate held a moment of silence for Schiavo.

"Regardless of your perspective on end-of-life issues this is very sad moment and a very reflective moment for a lot of us," said Senate President Tom Lee.

Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, said on Monday that his client had requested an autopsy to prove the extent of Terri's brain damage and to dispel questions from critics that his plans to cremate his wife's body were aimed at hiding something.

A court has said in the past Michael Schiavo can cremate his wife's body and bury the remains in Pennsylvania, his home state. The Schindlers, who are Roman Catholics, had wanted a full burial.


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