The public battle over the life of Marlise Munoz, the brain-dead, pregnant Texas woman, and her fetus came to an end as of Sunday, Jan. 26 with the removal of life support, according to her family. Munoz's husband, Erick Munoz, and her family stood off with the John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, which insisted on keeping her on life support against the wishes of the family.

The hospital complied with a judge's order to remove life-sustaining treatment, allowing the passing of Marlise Munoz, who was declared brain-dead in late November. She was kept on machines solely for the sake of her fetus, though the family was vocal about Munoz's wishes. The removal of life-sustaining equipment allowed for her death, and consequently the termination of the fetus, which reached 23 weeks' gestation. Judge R.H. Wallace Jr. made the order on Friday to pronounce her dead and return her body to her family. The hospital chose not to argue with the judge's ruling.

"From the onset, JPS has said its role was not to make nor contest law but to follow it," according to a statement released by hospital spokeswoman, J.R. Labbe, just prior to Erick Munoz's announcement that his wife had been disconnect from life support. "On Friday, a state district judge ordered the removal of life-sustaining treatment from Marlise Munoz. The hospital will follow the court order. May Marlise Munoz finally rest in peace, and her family find the strength to complete what has been an unbearably long and arduous journey."

The decision of whether Texas law will be adjusted based on the Munozes' case is unclear. Legislature has sanctioned a number of anti-abortions constraints, including establishing a guideline that states that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks, though Marlise Munoz passed that benchmark three weeks prior to her official death.

The family is now preparing for Marlise Munoz's burial.