Suicide Hunter in Court

[chanel]

MINNEAPOLIS -- A defense attorney for a Minnesota man accused of trolling the Internet for suicidal people and encouraging two to kill themselves told a judge Thursday that the victims already had plans to take their lives and his client's online conversations with them had no impact.

William Melchert-Dinkel, 48, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of aiding suicide in the deaths of an English man and a Canadian woman. Attorneys for both sides presented oral arguments Thursday to Rice County District Court Judge Thomas Neuville, who has up to 20 days to decide whether Melchert-Dinkel is guilty.

Prosecutors say Melchert-Dinkel, an ex-nurse from Faribault, was obsessed with suicide and hanging and that he sought out potential victims on the Internet. When he found them, prosecutors say, he posed in chat rooms and in e-mails as a woman, played the role of a compassionate friend and offered step-by-step instructions on how they could take their lives.

Prosecutors say Melchert-Dinkel acknowledged participating in online chats about suicide with up to 20 people and entering into fake suicide pacts with about 10 people, five of whom he believed killed themselves.

Read more: Minnesota Man Allegedly 'Hunted' Suicidal Victims - FoxNews.com

Predictions?

 

[xsited1]

There sure are a lot of wackos in Minnesota.

He'll be convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

 

[uscitizen]

He will commit suicide?

 

[Sunni Man]

Hey, if these people were that stupid and believed this guy.

Then he was doing humanity a favor by culling out the gene pool.

 

[chanel]

Nice sunni man. Hope none of your loved ones are "polluting the gene pool"

I hope he gets 15 years, but I predict a lot less.