The way I read the headline he did die of ALS.
That’s the way I read it also, and that is what I said in my comment. He opted to die a horrible death but wanted others not to commit suicide, which to me is an individual choice for people suffering from terminal illness(or for any other reason as far as that goes). If I ever get ALS I will not wait for the end part where you are trapped helpless, unable to speak or communicate with your loved ones. How terrible it was for the people involved in the case that I knew of and watched the poor guy die and the family and friends(including me)suffer.